


Princess Mononoke- Catch the Rainbow

by BlackSabbath4Ever



Series: Princess Mononoke- Catching the Rainbow [1]
Category: Mononoke-hime | Princess Mononoke
Genre: F/M, Ghibli, Studio Ghibli, studio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-19
Updated: 2014-07-19
Packaged: 2018-02-09 13:15:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 29,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1984332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackSabbath4Ever/pseuds/BlackSabbath4Ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ashitaka and San now have a daughter and have created an adequate way to raise her in both of their lifestyles and cultures. However, a host of malevolent creatures descend on Irontown and envelops the land in a thick fog. As the spiteful forces begin to torment the townspeople and threaten their child, Ashitaka & San must discover what is causing them to enter the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

With every clop of Yakul's hooves, Ashitaka's worry continued mounting. The dirt path leading to Irontown seemed to stretch on forever as he traveled to the forest. He knew that tensions might still have been high, but he never expected a situation he would have to personally defuse. His eyes watched the still-growing trees, ever wary of vengeful spirits that may have been created in the battle between the humans and the forest. Thanks to the lingering mistrust between the two sides, he wondered if he would have to worry about San and her brothers as well.

Only three months had passed since the death of the Forest Spirit rocked the forest and decimated Irontown. The mountainside adjacent to the town had changed from brown to green. The forest had also begun to return, though it would take much longer than a few months for the centuries-old trees to return to full size. Even with the Forest Spirit's healing boon, many trees were still saplings. The rebuilding of Irontown had been going strong. The lepers had been cured of their disease and were now able to work alongside more able-bodied and healthy folk. Still, it didn't entirely make up for the townspeople who had been killed by the black ooze dripping from the dying Forest Spirit.

Ashitaka had been helping with constructing new houses for the townspeople. At first, Lady Eboshi thought of using the old ironworks to house those without families. She decided against it when she learned the structural damage done to the building was too great. When she saw the building, grass was growing on the walls and long, winding vines were coming out of every crevice. Gonza and several of Irontown's strongest used hammers to demolish the structure, creating more room in the town. She also had the spikes surrounding the outer walls removed. What could be recycled was used, what couldn't was put aside as kindling. Whatever iron was leftover was put to use in making nails and tools. Lady Eboshi had only a few rifles kept but smelted down none of the iron bullets. She saw them as too good a defensive weapon to destroy entirely. As for food, much of the rice the town traded for had been scattered by the cyclone created by the Forest Spirit. Instead, they fished in the lake.

In the three months after the Forest Spirit's death, the inner and outer walls of Irontown had been repaired. Ashitaka had been surprised with a house of his own, a gift for his role in helping the town. It was a touching gesture, one which he repaid by helping others rebuild their homes. The work was tiring, tedious, and ceaseless, but he felt it was the least he could do. It was less dull whenever he worked with Toki and Kohroku; watching them bicker was amusing, if only for Kohroku's reactions. It was their house which he had been living in until his own had been built.

The day began like any other: Ashitaka awoke, ate a quick breakfast, and left to go help repair the town. When he went outside, there was a buzz going around Irontown. Some townspeople were whispering to one another. Others were loudly talking over the sound of nails being hammered into wood. Before Ashitaka could make out what they were saying, he was approached by Gonza. He walked with his fists clenched and his face distorted into a scowl.

"You, Ashitaka, come with me," He demanded.

"Hello to you too, Gonza," Ashitaka cracked, "What's wrong?"

"Those wolves and that girl took one of the men captive and almost killed another." Ashitaka flinched; he figured that San and her brothers weren't the most forgiving, but he didn't expect them to act with such hostility. "The man who got away, Kenta, he's getting his wounds treated. Speak to him, see if you can find out what happened with the other man." Ashitaka nodded and made his way to the isha's hut. On his way, he began to wonder what Kenta and the other man had done to make the wolves want to attack them. As far as he knew, they never strayed close to Irontown. He hadn't spoken to either of the three since they returned home; work in Irontown wouldn't allow it.

The isha's hut sat behind the inner walls of Irontown. A brief walk from the inner gate brought Ashitaka to the small house. Takahiro, the only man in Irontown who practiced medicine, was inking a block of wood when Ashitaka knocked at the front door. The greeted each other at the door before he invited Ashitaka inside. He was a tall, elderly man with thinning gray hair and long, thin fingers that were smooth compared to many men of his age. His wife had passed away several years ago, though his daughter would sometimes stop by to keep him company and help with his work.

"Is it Gonza who sent you?" Takahiro asked, "He told me he was going to fetch you."

"Yes, he said that Kenta and somebody else had a bit of encounter with San and her brothers," Ashitaka replied, "He wants me to find out where Kenta and the other man were going."

"Who is San?"

"The Wolf Girl." Ashitaka forgot that that almost none of the townspeople knew San's actual name. The often referred to her as Princess Mononoke or Wolf Girl.

"Oh, I see. Yes, he was pretty badly shaken when he arrived; had a nasty bite on his left leg that required two layers of bandages. He's over in that room," Takahiro said as he pointed to the door behind him, "He woke up a few minutes ago, so you should be able to speak with him."

"Thank you. When did he arrive?"

"Late last night. Some of the townspeople saw him running here after the gates were opened for him." Takahiro returned to his previous task as Ashitaka stepped into the room where Kenta was resting. Ashitaka recognized Kenta as one of the ox drivers. His left leg was covered in red-stained bandages. He kept his leg fully extended.

"I remember you; you're that outsider, Ashitaka," Kenta said groggily, "You're friends with that girl who lives in the forest, aren't you?"

Ashitaka nodded in response. "Can you tell me what happened? Where your friend might have gone?"

Kenta angled himself to see if anybody was outside the door. Takahiro was there was his back turned and didn't seem to be paying any attention. Still, he was fearful. He squirmed a little as his discomfort grew. "I could get in trouble for what Misawa and I tried to pull."

"What happened?"

Kenta groaned and said, "I suppose Lady Eboshi will find out one way or another. Misawa and I were out in the forest... hunting."

"Really? I don't think that would provoke San or her brothers."

"Yes, well, the thing is we were using... guns to hunt... them." Kenta glanced away from Ashitaka with each pause, feeling like he was admitting to murder.

Ashitaka's eyes grew wide. "Why were you trying to kill them?"

"It wasn't my idea, I swear! It was Misawa's plan; he wanted the wolves dead for what they did to his son. Do you remember when you first came here with Kohroku and the other man?"

Ashitaka nodded.

"Did you notice the train of oxen walking into the gates before you entered?"

Ashitaka nodded again.

"They were attacked by the wolves while they were near a steep cliff. Misawa's son was one of those who fell."

Ashitaka remembered now; there was a man who asked Kohroku if they came back with his son when Ashitaka brought him to shore. "I'm sorry this happened to you."

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have agreed to help him anyway, I guess."

"Do you remember where you two were attacked? Do you know where he may be now?"

"Eh, we weren't the ones who were attacked, really, we... fired first. All I remember is that we found the wolves and the girl outside some really high cave. Misawa took aim and fired, but his bullet struck the cliff. The wolves immediately came down at us. We took off, but they were much faster than either of us. The girl and one of the other wolves went after Misawa. The other one came after me and managed to nearly rip my leg off, but stopped after I played dead for a while. It helps that I hit my head on the ground when I tripped. I suppose I'm lucky they didn't eat me, right?"

"Very lucky." Ashitaka was sure he knew which cave Kenta was talking about. He remembered waking up there after he passed out at the pond. He still remembered where it was. "Thank you. I'm going to find your friend, all right?"

"He's probably dead. Can you at least bring back his body? I fear what his spirit will become if he isn't given a proper burial."

* * *

The trees were beginning to grow thicker as Ashitaka made his way to the wolves' den. These were the trees that weren't touched by Irontown or destroyed by the Forest Spirit. They reached towards the sun, standing on ancient tree trunks and rooted deep into the forest floor. Several kodama were sitting on the branches above. Others were walking up and down the tree trunks and disappearing into the wood. Yakul briefly recoiled when a rabbit suddenly came dashing out of the thick bushes. Ashitaka stifled a laugh as they continued on.

When they reached the wolves' den, Ashitaka could see one of San's brothers glaring down at him from the cave. They must have picked up his scent long before he arrived. He dismounted Yakul and told him to stay.

"You're the one the humans sent?" The wolf called down to Ashitaka, "I shouldn't be surprised."

"Is it okay if I come up?" Ashitaka asked, "I just want to bring Misawa back to Irontown."

"That's his name? Hm. Let me speak with my siblings." The wolf disappeared into the cave. Ashitaka waited patiently beside Yakul, brushing the elk's muzzle. When the wolf reappeared, his brother, San, and Misawa were standing by his side. Misawa wore a crimson mask of dried blood over his face. San had her half-face mask pulled over, making it so Ashitaka could only see her frown. She nudged at Misawa with her spear. He nodded several times as he tried to walk down the slope leading to the cave. Another nudge from San's spear caused him to tumble to the ground. The two wolves flanked him and began to growl. Misawa quickly picked himself up and hurried over to Ashitaka.

"Thank goodness you're here!" He cried as he stumbled over to Ashitaka, "I can't tha-"

"Return to Irontown," Ashitaka coldly ordered, "I'm going back in a minute and I'm going to inform Lady Eboshi of what you and Kenta were planning." Misawa nodded and shrunk away. He walked back to Irontown with his head down. Ashitaka turned back to the wolves and San. Her frown lightened as Misawa walked away. "I'm sorry for what he tried to do. Nobody else in town knew about it."

San said nothing. She walked over to Ashitaka and handed him a small, cloth bag. Inside were four iron bullets. "He used one already. My brothers and I destroyed the guns they brought." She said. The tone in her voice made it clear she was holding back her rage.

"I'm sorry," Ashitaka said once more as he pocketed the bullets, "Lady Eboshi will make sure Misawa is properly dealt with."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Very well," She pulled back her mask to reveal her flint-gray eyes, "It was nice to see you, Ashitaka, but I want you to leave for now."

Ashitaka's heart sank a little. This was the first time he had visited San since they parted ways after the battle. "Alright. I can still visit you when I have the time."

"Not right now. Just keep that human and his friend away from the forest. The only reason they are still alive is because I asked my brothers not to kill them. I knew you would probably want them back." She growled in her throat and said, "Ashitaka, if I want to meet with you again, I'll bring one of my brothers to the wall. Whatever human is there will probably call for you."

"That would be fine."

"Goodbye, Ashitaka." San and her brothers returned to the cave. Ashitaka didn't stay to watch them leave. He mounted Yakul and began to make his way back to Irontown. Despite the fact he was able to find Misawa safe, he felt dejected on his trip back. The burning in San's eyes was all he had to see to know that she still hated humans, possibly more because of Kenta and Misawa. She had once told him that he meant much to her. Now, he wondered if that was still the case.


	2. Timely Arrival

_9 Months Later_

Not once did San arrive at the gates. She gave no sign that she wanted to see Ashitaka. He had feared that she would cease any contact between them when he heard what Misawa and Kenta tried. He was sure his suspicions were confirmed. Several days ago, he thought of simply moving on. It probably would have been a troubling affair in the first place. San hated humans and many of the townspeople hated San. When Misawa returned, he and Kenta began to stir trouble, creating stories about the wolves to put them in a bad light. Ashitaka tried to convince the townspeople that they were lying, but not all were swayed. It seemed that half of the townspeople stood by Ashitaka, who said that San isn't evil. The other half trusted Misawa. They now believed that San's brothers were demons and that she was a savage, omnicidal maniac. Ashitaka tried talking with them, but neither would listen.

Irontown was now almost entirely finished. Save for a small number of houses, the town had been rebuilt. Ashitaka hadn't been tasked with helping with the final few houses. Instead, he had been assigned as a scout to keep watch for Lord Asano's soldiers. The only other scout was a young man named Keiji. Ashitaka was tasked with watching the forest while Keiji was to watch the road leading to Irontown. It was an often dull job, but Ashitaka preferred it to farming or fishing.

Today, he would find out that he would be deviating from his usual task. Just as he got into Yakul's saddle, he was approached by Gonza.

"Good morning Gonza," Ashitaka greeted, "Is there something you need?"

"Yeah, morning," He grunted, obviously still tired, "We've got a big problem: one of the townspeople's kids has gone missing."

Ashitaka was taken aback. "Who is it?"

"Koji, Naofumi's son. Apparently, Naofumi thought it would be a great idea to bring his kid fishing. Well, Koji wandered off into the forest and his father is too scared to fetch him. Pathetic if you ask me, but Lady Eboshi doesn't want to force him. She's asking you to go and find his kid."

"Of course I'll look for him." Ashitaka had Yakul gallop full speed into the forest the moment the gates were raised. As he passed the first few bunches of trees, he realized he should have asked Gonza how long ago Koji had gone into the forest. It was too late to turn back now; he would have to guess.

The first place he checked was the area next to the road. He wasn't sure if he would find Koji here; the child would have probably gone back to the road the moment he saw it. When he couldn't find him there, he continued deeper into the forest. The mountainous terrain made it a pain for Ashitaka to search. What he feared most was that Koji had fallen into a crevice. He checked under each boulder, each rock, yet found no sign of the child. After an hour, he and Yakul continued deeper into the forest. They found a river and decided to follow its path. The river flowed out of the forest would eventually lead to the Forest Spirit's pond. He doubted Koji had gone that far.

Ashitaka thought of checking the wolves' den and asking San and her brothers if either of them had seen him. He knew there was a chance they weren't very welcoming, but he thought it to be better than nothing. He traveled to the den, keeping an eye out for any sign of Koji. He saw not one scrap of clothing, but there were several broken branches. He knew that they could have been caused by something else, but didn't count them out yet.

"San!" He called up to the cave when he arrived, "It's me, Ashitaka!" Nobody came out of the cave. The wind was still. The only sound Ashitaka could hear was the nearby river. "I know the last time I was here wasn't for a pleasant reason, but I need your help!" Nothing. Ashitaka was beginning to grow frustrated, but found it odd they weren't showing themselves. They never struck him as the type to ignore something, instead preferring to confront their troubles. "I wonder if they're even here."

Ashitaka told Yakul to wait for him as he climbed the slope leading to the cave. He hoped that, if they were home, he had come in at a good time. He peeked around the corner of the cave and found that nobody was home. Inside was a litter of straw that San used as a bed. Her weapons, mask, and pelt were missing. He assumed that they had gone hunting and thought about waiting. He told himself that he would count to one thousand. If they still weren't there after that amount of time, he would continue searching for Koji. He counted to one thousand and four before he finally left.

"That was a waste of time," He muttered to Yakul, "Maybe we should turn around. There's no way Koji came this far. For all we know, he probably didn't even go very far into the forest. He could have turned left and just kept on running. Come on, buddy, let's go back to the river."

The two now followed the flow of the stream, going down the mountain and making their way out of the forest. As they were walking, Ashitaka heard tree branches rustling over to their left. He directed Yakul towards the sound, hoping to find Koji. When he arrived at the spot where the sound came from, he looked around but saw no sign of the child. He looked up to see a large squirrel sitting atop a higher branch. He grinned, having discovered what caused the noise, but quickly refocused himself. He heard the sound of a second stream nearby and thought that he may have more look there.

As Ashitaka and Yakul made their way towards the second stream, he noticed someone's hand laying. The rest of whomever was there was hidden by a shrub. His first instinct was that Koji had slipped and hit his head. He cursed under his breath as he had Yakul break into a faster trot. As they neared, Ashitaka noticed white fur, brown hair, and a pair of ivory earrings.

"That's San," He said. He dismounted Yakul and rushed over to her. Most of her body was atop a bed of rocks barely extruding out of the stream. Everything shoulders-up was laying in the dirt, face down. From what Ashitaka could see, she was still breathing, but didn't seem to notice him coming. "She's out cold."

Laying close to San were both of her weapons. Her knife was covered in blood and her spear appeared to be tipped in red. Her half-mask was pulled over and her pelt was dirty. Her right arm was badly mangled and her left leg was bent at an awkward angle. Ashitaka noticed a large, jutting boulder nearby and wondered if she had jumped off and landed badly.

"Hello!" Ashitaka shouted into the forest, hoping her brothers would hear him, "Hello! If you can here me-"  
"Who's there?" A quiet voice asked from close behind. Ashitaka whirled around to see a young boy of eight wearing a tan cloth tunic and rough leather shoes.

"Are you Koji?" Ashitaka asked as he stepped in front of the boy to hide San.

"Yes. You're Ashitaka, right?" Ashitaka nodded in response. "My father says that you're one of the people who saved Irontown."

"That's very nice of your father. What are you doing in the forest?"

"I don't know how I got here. I saw a little squirrel in the forest and wanted to play with it. I ran too far into the forest, though."

"Why didn't you ask the kodama to help find your way out?"

"What are those?" Ashitaka looked around and saw one of the white spirits sitting on a branch above. He pointed at it, causing Koji to shrink back. "They scare me."

"They're perfectly harmless. They helped me out of the forest once."

"Oh." Koji looked up at the tree spirit. The little kodama cocked its head to one side and made a rattling noise. Koji grinned and giggled.

"Come on, let's get you home." Ashitaka took a quick look at San's unconscious body. He couldn't leave her here. He thought of bringing her to the pond, but he doubted it even worked anymore. He also had to worry about Koji. He wasn't sure what Koji's father thought of San. He came up with an idea to bring Koji to Irontown and help San. "Koji, have you ever ridden a horse before?"

"Nope."

"How would you like to ride Yakul?" Ashitaka winked at Yakul, to which the elk nodded its head.

"That would be great!" Ashitaka led Koji to the red elk, making sure to keep San out of sight. He lifted him into the saddle and told him to grip the reins loosely. "I'll tell you what to do in a moment. I just need to get my cloak off." Ashitaka walked over to San as he undid the straw cloak he had been wearing. He turned San over and made sure she was still breathing. Once he heard her breath, he carefully wrapped the cloak around her and gingerly placed her behind the saddle. "Alright, now I'm going to help you guide Yakul back to Irontown, okay?"

* * *

Takahiro was arranging bottles of medicinal ingredients when he heard someone pounding on his front door. He opened it to find Ashitaka, out of breath, with dirt covering his tunic.

"Hello, Ashitaka," Takahiro greeted, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I'm sorry to bother you, Takahiro, but do you think you can come with me to my house?"

"Of course I can, but what for?"

"I'd rather show you than say."

Takahiro shrugged and followed Ashitaka back to his house. He noticed that Ashitaka kept his head down as he walked. He wondered what was troubling the boy. "Is there any reason you couldn't have just told me what was wrong in my hut?"

"People might have heard." Ashitaka cracked his door open just enough for him and Takahiro to slide through. He made sure that his windows were covered and his door was shut properly. Ashitaka led Takahiro to his bedroom. When Takahiro saw San laying unconscious on Ashitaka's futon, he understood.

"You're afraid the townspeople will find out?"

Ashitaka nodded.

"I see, I see. Where did you find her? Why is so badly hurt?"

"I have no idea. I was looking for Koji when I found San laying face-first. Her leg and arm look broken. Do you think you can help her?"

"You want me to work in secret, I assume?"

"I'm sorry if it's too much trouble. If you can least set her bones, I can care for her."

"You may want to talk to Lady Eboshi about this. She can give you time off to take care of her. As far as I know, she doesn't harbor any malice towards her."

* * *

One of Lady Eboshi's servants opened the door when Ashitaka knocked. He bowed and asked if it would be okay to see Eboshi. Before the girl could answer, Eboshi called from inside, telling her to let Ashitaka in. He found her filling in records with her left hand. Though her writing was not as neat as it was with her right, it was far better than it was several months ago. She set down the brush in her hand after they greeted each other.

"Gonza told me that you found Koji," She said, "I'm very grateful for that. I doubt any of the other men would have been able to find him."

"It was difficult. He actually stumbled upon Yakul and I while we were searching for him," Ashitaka admitted.

"You still showed him the way out. If there's anything I can do for you as a way of thanks, simply ask."

"I'm actually here for a request, your Ladyship."

"Oh?" Lady Eboshi raised in eyebrow. Ashitaka rarely asked for things.

Ashitaka explained how he found San in the forest. He described the injuries she had and how he wanted Takahiro to help treat her. "I can care for her, but I don't know how to properly heal injuries like the ones she has."

"Hm. Who else knows she is in town?"

"Only Takahiro, you, and I know she's here. I snuck her in when I came through the gate with Koji."

"Those guards must be terrible at their job," Eboshi muttered, "Very well, then. I'll give you time to help care for her. In the meantime, tell no one that she is at your home. If people ask why Takahiro is at your house, explain that you've been collecting plants in the forest and have been asking him if they have any medicinal properties. When the girl is fully healed, come to me and I'll make sure she leaves safely."

Ashitaka smiled widely and thanked Lady Eboshi. He returned home and told Takahiro of Lady Eboshi's approval along with her plan for how to avoid suspicion.

"Well, now that we have that settled, I can help her," He said, "I'm going to fetch a few things at my hut and then I'll return here. Do as Lady Eboshi says and ensure nobody knows she is here."


	3. In the Still of the Night

"Their scent is strong," Okami remarked, "There must be at least a dozen nearby."

"Don't you think we would have heard them by now?" San asked, "I never knew humans to be this quiet." San ducked under a fallen log which her brothers effortlessly hopped over. Their heads turned left and right as they searched for the humans whose scent they had picked up. Each sound in the forest held them in a momentary grip. When they discovered the rustling they often heard was a chipmunk in the bushes or a bird overhead, they set out once more. Their eyes were peeled for the slightest hint of humans: broken twig, footprints in the dirt, depressed grass, scraps of food, and small shreds of clothing caught on branches. Their ears were listening for the slightest cough, the faintest sigh, a stifled sneeze, the lightest footfall, or a word or two spoken by human tongue.

The trio had been in their den when the unmistakable human scent passed with the wind. San thought it could have been the boy, Ashitaka, as he was often in the forest. But it was night; he only came to the forest during the day. He always seemed to be searching for something, but she could never tell what. He was always peeking around bushes and glancing over fallen logs. Sometimes, he climbed up tall trees. When he was close to the top, he was steady himself on a thick branch as he scanned the forest. After spending a minute above the ground, he would climb back down and remount his red elk, Yakul. He had been doing this for a month now. She wondered if he was looking for her sometimes, though he never seemed to get too close to the den.

"What would so many humans be doing here at night?" Urufu asked, "They can barely see in the dark, even with the moon."

"Perhaps they are spies for that woman's enemy," Okami suggested, "Maybe they are passing through the forest, hoping to find a shortcut."

As the three followed the scent, it began to fade away. Okami told his younger siblings to pick up the pace as he broke into a light dash. Urufu had no trouble keeping up, but San made more noise than she wanted with each step. Urufu allowed her to ride him when he heard her curse as she broke a twig. She thanked him as she gripped his hide and pressed against him with her legs. The humans' smell continued to dissipate.

The three stopped once the smell was entirely gone. They were standing on a slope. Next to them, a stream quietly flowed as water rushed past the rocks in the ground. The stood still, not wanting to mistake their own steps for that of a human's. Kodama were in the trees, eying the wolves curiously. One tilted its head to the side, about to make a rattling noise. It silently straightened its head when Okami shot a warning glance at it.

The wolves heard a sudden rustling sound from nearby, further up the slope. They turned towards the direction of the sound but only saw more bushes and trees. San dismounted Urufu as the two brothers shifted slightly closer towards the origin of the sound. A knocking coming from the trees above grabbed their attention. San backed away from the tree closest to her and looked up to see a human hugging the trunk of the tree, staring down at San and her brothers. His face and clothes were covered in mud to hide his scent.

"I think I found-" San was interrupted by four different humans charging from the bushes, shouting war cries as they ran at her brothers with large, metal studded clubs. The two wolves immediately dashed towards them, causing the men to turn and flee back into the bushes. San glanced towards her brothers and back towards the man in the tree. She took several more steps back as she pointed her spear at the man, waiting for him to come down. The last thing she remembered was the man in the tree smiling as she turned to face another human she heard running towards her. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head as her vision went black.

* * *

Ashitaka was sitting at his table with his left cheek against the wooden top. One finger was tracing the empty clay cup to his right. Night had fallen two hours ago and he had just finished eating. He had spent most of the day inside his house, leaving only to give Yakul a bit of company. He was glad that the stables were close to his house; he was able to go from his front door to the red elk in seconds. While inside, he spent most of his time sharpening his sword with a rock he had picked up outside or carving into his firewood.

Ashitaka sighed as he stood up to put away the clay cup. He would be sleeping on the sofa in the main room of his house. San was asleep on his futon and he didn't want to be close by for when she woke up. She would likely try and swing at him, despite her broken arm. Takahiro had given her a splint for her arm and leg. He also gave her a sling for her arm. He told Ashitaka that San wouldn't be fully healed for twenty weeks, particularly because of her leg. Ashitaka thanked him and paid the isha with some gold he still had.

He changed into his pale blue nightclothes, making sure to be quiet when he stepped into his bedroom. While he was putting his clothes away, he turned to see how San was doing. To his surprise, her eyes began to flutter. He backed away and sat on the floor with his legs crossed. He was nervous; he didn't expect San to listen to why she was in his house.

San began to stir under the blankets as she let out a tired groan. She could feel a slight pain in the back of her head. She tried to stand up, but her left leg flared up in pain when she tried to bend it. She gasped sharply at the agony. It was enough for Ashitaka to stand up and go over to see if she was okay. He crouched next to her to see what was wrong. That was when she opened her eyes completely and saw where she was. Her immediate reaction was to reach for her dagger, but she felt another sharp pain, this time in her right arm.

"You might not want to move around too much," Ashitaka advised, "You've been hurt pretty badly."

"What? Ashitaka?" San asked, bewildered as she studied her current environment, "Where am I?"

"This is my house. I brought you here when I found you in the forest. I called for your brothers, but they didn't seem to be around. I didn't see a sign of them while I was there, so I assumed they were away. Do you know where they may be?" San didn't answer. She was too perplexed by everything around her. She had never been in a human's house before. The wooden walls, the warm blankets, the soft bed, and the various pieces of furniture were new to her. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm in that town, aren't I? The one with all of the humans."

"Yes, but almost none of them know you're here. Only two others know you're here."

"Who?"

"The man who healed you and Lady Eboshi."

"That woman?" San almost shouted.

"Trust me, it's for the best. I think she may want to help you."

"But... alright." San continued looking around, seeming to be fearful of where she was. She wasn't used to such closed spaces. "How did I get here?"

"I found you laying in a stream. You were unconscious and had a broken arm and leg, so I tried calling for your brothers. When they didn't respond, I sneaked you into Irontown and brought you here. I had the town's isha come and help heal you. I told Lady Eboshi that you're here because I thought it would be best if she knew. She said to keep you inside, and with good reason: half of the people here would probably try to run you out of town. Anyway, I asked if you knew where your brothers were."

"If they aren't in the forest, I don't know where they could be. The last thing I can remember is that we were confronting a group of humans who were in the forest. They attacked us and I was knocked out, I suppose."

"Why would they attack you?"

"I don't know. They were covered in mud to mask their scent, so I think they may have been planning the attack. I bet it was somebody from here."

"If it was someone from Irontown, I doubt I would have found you alive." Ashitaka saw San bite her bottom lip and clench her left first. "Do you want something to eat?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

San shook her head. She pulled the blanket off of her body and looked at the splint on her leg. Her gaze turned the sling her arm was resting in. "What are these?"

"They're used to help heal your limbs. According to Takahiro, it will take twenty weeks for your leg to fully heal."

"Twenty?!" San dropped down on the futon and brushed her hair back.

"You can still walk a bit if you use a crutch, but you can't run or jump."

San sighed and sat back up. She looked around and saw something glint on the wall in the dim light. "What is that?"

"It's a mirror," Ashitaka replied as he got up and took it down, "It shows you what you look like." He held the mirror to San so she could see her face. She wasn't scarred in any way. Her war paint had been cleaned off, but everything else about her was the same. Under her shirt, she could barely see the red rope of the crystal necklace Ashitaka had given her.

"It's like the surface of water," San remarked as Ashitaka replaced the mirror. He yawned as he hung it back on the wall. He wondered how late it was.

"Is there anything you want me to get you? I'm going to sleep pretty soon."

"No, I should probably go to sleep myself, even if I'm not that tired."

"Alright, then. I'll see you in the morning." Ashitaka turned to leave, but San said she had one question. "What would that be?"

"I always see you in the forest during the day and you always seem to be looking for something. What is it you're looking for?"

"Oh, that's nothing, really. My job is to keep an eye out for any enemies of Irontown that may be hiding in the forest. I never really expect to find anything there, but I suppose it's better to be safe than sorry." San nodded, satisfied that she finally knew what he was doing in the forest. "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Wait, isn't this your bed?"

"Yes, but you can use it. I'll just sleep on the couch in the other room."

"Why not just sleep next to me? My brothers and I do whenever they sleep."

"Oh, alright. I didn't suggest since most humans don't sleep together unless they know each other very well."

San moved to the side to give Ashitaka a bit of room. He pulled the blankets back to the futon and over he and San. She slid under the blankets, making sure to not move her leg very much. "Are my weapons here? My mask?"

"Yes, they're in the dresser right there," Ashitaka said as he pointed to a dresser on the other side of the room, "I also put your pelt in there."

"Should I put this in there?" San asked as she pulled out the crystal. Ashitaka appeared to be surprised when she lifted it from her shirt.

"You still have that?" He asked.

"Of course. I wear it regularly."

"I thought you would have gotten rid of it."

"Why would you think that?"

"It's just... never mind. I can put it away for you, if you want."

"Sure," She said as she removed from around her neck, "I don't want it to poke me while I sleep. I wouldn't want to break it by accident by rolling onto it." Ashitaka took the necklace and walked over to the dresser. He placed it next to her mask in the bottom drawer. "Goodnight, Ashitaka." San said once he returned to the futon.

"Goodnight, San," Ashitaka said. The heat radiating from San's body helped him fall asleep. The only thoughts that muddled his mind as he began to slumber was how he would keep San's presence a secret for five months.


	4. Beginning to Adapt

San awoke early in the morning. The sun was barely peeking over the mountains when she opened her eyes. She sat up and supported herself on her left arm, making sure not to put any weight on her right. She sighed as she glimpsed at her broken left leg. The splint made it near-impossible to bend her leg, thought it was for the best. Still, she didn't want to remain laying down for too long. There was a wooden crutch leaning against the other side of the room. She glanced once more at her two injured limbs.

"I can make it," She whispered to herself. She planted her left hand and right foot firmly on the ground. She pushed herself up with her left hand as she tried to stand on her only good leg. She practically jumped on to her right leg as she pushed with her left hand. She steadied herself, placing her hand against the wall for balance. She let go of the wall once she gained her balance. She hopped to the crutch with her right leg, keeping a slow pace. When she was in an arm's reach of the wall, she placed her hand against it and hopped close enough to lean on it with her shoulder. She sighed out of relief. She shifted from her shoulder to her back. She took the crutch and placed it under her left arm. She took one step forward with her right foot. She then moved forward with her left leg. She made sure to move the crutch at the same time. It was awkward and the crutch wasn't comfortable, but she was able to move. Seeing as to how she was going to be here for a while, she decided to familiarize herself with Ashitaka's house.

She first examined the bedroom. There wasn't much in the room: a dresser, a mirror, and a futon were the only things in the room. Ashitaka's bow and sword lay atop the dresser. She moved into the main room of the house. In the center was a wooden table with four chairs. A shelf hanged on the wall nearby the table. On the shelf were six clay cups, two tan bowls, and Ashitaka's red bowl. Several sticks were laying across the red bowl. There was a shelf below which had several cloth bags. San could smell dried fish, some vegetables, and rice. Closer to the front door was a couch and two chairs. Several rugs lay on the floor. A washroom was adjacent to the main room. Inside was a basin of water, a tub made of stone, and a bucket of water. There were a few windows in the house, two in the bedroom and four in the main room. Each one was covered by wooden shutters. Overall, it was a rather small house. She felt cramped and wanted to return to the forest. She took a seat on one of the chairs and held her head in one hand. A look of frustration painted across her face.

She sat thinking of where her brothers could be. Ashitaka had told her that there were humans who wanted her dead, but if they were the ones who attacked her she wouldn't be in this house. She doubted her brothers would leave her unless they needed to. Or, perhaps, they weren't able to stay with her. She kept thinking back to the humans they had encountered in the forest. They were smart enough to disguise their scent. They also attempted to camouflage themselves. She began to wonder if they were hunters, like the ones who had helped the humans one year before.

San heard Ashitaka moving around in his sleep. She looked over to see him roll out of bed. He outstretched his arms and cocked his neck from side to side, creating a crack with each snap. He rubbed one hand over his eyes and glanced down at the futon to see if San was still asleep. When he saw she wasn't there, he looked over to the main room. He smiled and waved over to her with one hand still covering an eye. She waved back, though she didn't know what the gesture meant.

"How was your sleep?" Ashitaka asked as he opened the dresser to retrieve his clothes.

"Well, I suppose. Your bed is much more comfortable than where I often sleep," San replied.

Ashitaka went into the washroom to change. San returned to thinking about where her brothers would be. As far as she knew, the humans didn't have any guns. Even if they did, they would have fired once they saw she and her brothers. The unknowing of where her brothers were was disheartening.

Ashitaka returned dressed in his blue tunic and peach colored pants. He walked over to the shelves and asked San if she wanted something to eat. He opened the bags to show her rice, dried fish, and an assortment of vegetables. San smiled, partly because Ashitaka was being so welcoming and partly because she correctly guessed what was in the bags. Ashitaka grabbed a couple of bowls and two pairs of chopsticks.

"Do you know how to use chopsticks?" Ashitaka asked as he paused with the second pair in between his fingers.

"What are those?" San asked.

"Humans use them to eat. I know you don't consider yourself human, so..."

"I'm fine with just my hands."

Ashitaka nodded. He handed San one bowl and told her to choose whatever she wanted. She eyed the food curiously. She didn't often eat fish or vegetables and she rarely ate rice. Still, she thought it would be nice to try and grabbed a bit of each. The fish was mostly white on the edge and very pale yellow in the center.

"I should probably cook the rice outside to soften it," Ashitaka said. San said she was fine with how it was. "Are you sure? It would probably taste better and I can mix everything in. Then again, you probably wouldn't want to use your hands to eat it."

"No, it's alright," She reassured him. He nodded and took his red bowl of food outside to a pot he used for cooking. He normally cooked outside to keep the smoke out of his house, though if it rained he would cook inside. As he was stepping out the front door, he made sure all of his windows were shut. The cooking pot sat next to his house. It was a simple metal pot hanging over a ring of stones. In the center of the ring was coal and tinder. Ashitaka took the pot and filled it with water from the lake. When he came back, he lit the fire and waited for the water to heat up. While waiting for it to heat up, he decided to let Yakul out of the stable. He brought Yakul to the gate and told him that he could go wherever he wanted as long as he was back the next day. Yakul gave a soft grunt and a nod of his head and trotted off into the forest.

As Ashitaka sat outside, he was asked by a few passing townspeople why he wasn't working. His answer was that he was simply given time off. He went inside while waiting for the water to warm up. He noticed that San hadn't eaten much and asked if she wanted something else to eat.

"No thank you, I don't feel very hungry," She replied, "I'm just wondering where my brothers could be."

"Do you know more about who attacked you?" Ashitaka asked as he sat down, "I can probably help you find your brothers."

"I don't know what more I can say other than what I've told you. There were probably five of them, perhaps more. Were there any bodies nearby where you find me? I can't remember if you told me."

"Only you were there."

"Then there were probably more than five. I can't imagine a small group of humans would be able to do anything to my brothers. I can't imagine what they would try to do to either of them. Arrows barely affect them and it would take a lot more than swords to kill them. Do any of the humans here own guns?"

"No; only Lady Eboshi and Gonza can distribute the rifles in Irontown. Even then, there aren't too many."

"Then I guess they weren't trying to kill them."

"Perhaps it was a trap? Maybe they were trying to catch your brothers."

"I don't see the benefit of capturing my brothers unless they wanted them out of the forest."

Ashitaka opened his mouth to more, but he quickly shut it when he heard his front door open. He leapt out of his seat and almost knocked over the table and chair. San snapped her head towards the door with a burning glare. They saw Toki standing at the door. Her jaw was hanging and her eyes were wide. She was carrying a pair of leg warmers.

"Ashitaka, I was just coming over to return these," She said, "I didn't know you had company."

Ashitaka hurried past Toki and closed the door behind her, making sure nobody was looking inside. He breathed a sigh of relief when the door was shut. "Toki, please knock next time," He requested.

"I'm sorry; if I knew that someone was here, I would have. I just heard that you had the day off and thought that it would a good time to return these." She handed Ashitaka the woolen warmers and he bowed. He brought the warmers to the dresser and tucked them away. When he returned, San was still fiercely glaring at Toki.

"Toki, you cannot tell anybody that San is here. You know what some people think of her."

"I know, but... does Lady Eboshi know she is here?"

"Yes; she even said that it was okay for San to stay in my house. Can you please not tell anyone she's here?"

"You won't have any problem with me." She opened the door wide enough for her to slide through. She quickly waved goodbye and flashed a smile as she squeezed through and shut the door behind her.

"Who was that?" San asked as she eased her gaze.

"That was Toki," Ashitaka replied, "She can be a bit eccentric, but she's a good person. She won't tell anyone you're in town."

San nodded, but she didn't entirely trust Ashitaka's judgment. "What was she carrying?"

"Oh, those were just leg warmers I let her husband use for winter. He works as a cattle driver and doesn't own any thick clothing. When winter arrived, I loaned him an extra pair of warmers I had. Anyway, is there anything you want to do?"

"Well, we can't go outside. What do you suggest?"

Ashitaka shrugged. "I usually spend time outside, but seeing as to how we can't do that, I guess we can talk? Maybe then we can figure out something to do."

"Talk? About what?"

"I don't know. All I know is that we can't go outside without half of the town arming themselves. Even if they didn't see you, what then? We can't hunt for anything, swim, and you can't even walk at the moment. Your arm alone is going to take a month or two to get better, so we're even more limited. Besides, it would probably be good for both of us to know each other better if you're going to be here for a while."

"I guess that it would be fine, then. By the way, weren't you doing something outside earlier?"

Ashitaka sat stumped for a moment before his eyes went to the bags of food on the table. He remembered the fire he had outside and quickly excused himself. He dumped his bowl of food into the now-boiling water and began stirring. He knew it wasn't the best way to cook, but it was better than eating everything dry. Once he finished cooking, he returned inside and took a seat across from San.


	5. Bitter Memories

Ashitaka set the sour-smelling soup aside as he waited for San to speak. He wondered if she even would, as she seemed distracted by something else. He guessed it was her brothers. Her eyes were staring down at her hands as they sat in her lap. The odor from the soup stung her nostrils and caused her nose to twitch. She wondered if it tasted as pungent as it smelled.

"How have you been?" Ashitaka asked to break the silence.

San snapped out of her daze and replied, "I've been well. Ever since the humans began to leave us alone, the forest has been peaceful. It's... it's something I'm not used to. It took my brothers some time to get used to, as well. Still, we liked it. We didn't have to constantly seek out humans and drive them out of the forest. Even then, I was always alert whenever I would hear a twig snap or a bird fly out of the bushes. Getting used to the peace with the humans wasn't the hard part." San could feel her chest becoming heavy. She bit down hard on her lower lip as her hands clenched into fists. Her broken arm began to sting.

"Your mother?"

San nodded. "When my brothers and I returned to our home, they began howling as a show of grief. After a few days, we were able to move on, for the most part. We went around the forest and helped wherever we could. The apes weren't keen on us helping, though. They threw rocks and sticks at us whenever they saw us. I got fed up with them and didn't try to stop my brothers from chasing them down. Other than that, everything has been well until recently. What about you? How have things been?"

"Not bad, though it's been somewhat dull for the past few weeks," He replied.

"Have you found a mate?" San asked suddenly.

"What, no, I... why?"

"I was curious. I sometimes look down upon this town from atop the hills nearby to see if the humans were going to cause trouble again. I often saw you talking with women and wondered if you took any of them as a mate."

Ashitaka grinned, "No, none of them. They'll find good men, though, I'm sure of it."

"I see. I thought for sure you would have found a mate by now. Anyway, you said that it's been dull?"

"Very much so, though the first few weeks after the fighting ended was completely different. Everybody was scrambling to get the walls rebuilt since they feared another attack by Lord Asano. That took a few months and we had a few setbacks, but they're standing strong now. Other than that, it hasn't been very exciting." Ashitaka smiled lightly as he added, "It's almost like my old village, just bigger."

San nodded. "Yakul told me a bit about your village once. He said you had a sister."

"Kaya," Ashitaka said with a tone of fondness in his voice, "Yes, she's my younger sister. The necklace that I gave to you was a gift she gave to me."

"What? Why would you give something like that away?"

"Because she gave me that necklace so that I wouldn't forget her. She's my sister and I could never do that. I wanted you to have the necklace for the same reason."

"Well, I think you for it. It's very beautiful. Speaking of your sister, would she be leading your tribe now that you're gone?"

"I'm not too sure. The village elders will probably want her to marry so that she can have children. I would probably go back if I can, but I'm dead to them now. I know she is doing well." Ashitaka wondered what Kaya was doing now. He hoped that she was up to the task of leading the Emishi.

"Yakul told me that the reason your people hide is because of somebody called the Emperor. What did he do to your tribe?"

"Well, it wasn't the current emperor, but one of his predecessors. My peoples' ancestors were hunted down by his warriors. Many of those who survived joined him while a very small few managed to avoid being killed."

"It sounds like what the humans did to the forest."

"You're not too far off," Ashitaka sighed, "I shouldn't be thinking about those sort of things." He swept his hair back as he called back to the fighting he witnessed when he arrived. He could remember the odor that the boars' bodies gave off. He rubbed his temples before looking back up with a smile. He tried to change the subject and thought of asking San more about her past. The first thing he brought up was the wolf pelt she wore. "I haven't seen any other wolves in the forest other than you or your brothers."

"That's because many of the animals in this forest are gods. Seldom are there normal wolves in this forest. The pelt I wear was a gift from my mother, one I've had for as long as I can remember. She used to carry me in it by holding the corners in her jaws. When I became old enough to ride her and my brothers, I wore it as a cape."

"Where did you get it from? I've never seen any wolves in the forest other than your brothers." There was a brief pause before Ashitaka quickly added, "And you."

"I've always suspected that it belonged to whomever Moro's mate was. She didn't speak much of him, nor did my brothers. In any case, it shows that I'm a wolf, not human."

Ashitaka nodded and continued listening to San. She talked more about her family, never referring to Moro as her "wolf-mother" or her brothers as her "wolf-brothers". It made Ashitaka wonder if she knew how Moro had found her. He believed it to be better if he didn't ask. She spoke about the fighting between the humans and the forest. Ashitaka knew that the struggle had been brutal, but listening to San talk about it made him realize that it was much worse than he once thought. Twenty years she had been fighting. He couldn't blame her for hating humans.

"Was your village ever threatened?" San asked as she finished talking about her battles.

"The only time we were ever attacked was when Nago arrived," Ashitaka replied, "Other than that, we were very well hidden from the rest of the world. We were prepared for attacks, though. I trained with my bow and sword while others learned how to use different types of weapons."

"Were you trained by your parents?"

Before Ashitaka could answer, somebody knocked at his front door. "Just one second!" He yelled. San stood up and made her way to the washroom. Once Ashitaka was sure she was out of sight, he opened the door to find Gonza standing at the front door. Ashitaka greeted him with a bow.

"Hello, Ashitaka," Gonza greeted, "First off, Lady Eboshi told me why you aren't working right now. Your little friend doesn't need to hide."

"Maybe not from you, but if somebody so much as glimpses at my door and sees somebody else inside, word will spread," Ashitaka said, "She's not going to cause any trouble, I promise."

"Don't worry, I'm not here to talk about her. There's something else that needs to be done."

"What would that be?"

"Kenji didn't come back from his scouting yesterday. His wife is worried that something may have happened, so Lady Eboshi wants you to see if you could find him. I know that we sent you to find somebody else only a few days ago, but you're one of the few men who aren't working and are competent enough. You don't need to spend hours looking for him, just check around the route he normally patrols."

Ashitaka glanced over to where San was hiding before asking Gonza, "Can you make sure that nobody finds out that San is here?"

"I don't think anyone is going to go snooping around in your house while you're gone. As long as she doesn't make a lot of noise, she won't be found."

Ashitaka nodded and said he will get to it. Gonza grunted a quick goodbye as he returned to his own home. Ashitaka shut his door and asked San if she heard the conversation.

"Of course I did," She replied, "Don't worry about me. I know how not to attract attention."

"Alright. I'll be back soon." He gathered his sword and cloak before quickly slipping outside his house. As he approached the stables, he remembered that he had let Yakul out for the day. He cursed under his breath but continued on anyway. Several townspeople asked where he was going, to which he replied, "Fulfilling a request from Lady Eboshi."

Ashitaka knew the route which Kenji followed. He made a brisk pace down the lone road which led to Irontown. His eyes were constantly darting left and right, looking for any sign of Kenji. He wondered if he would stumble upon him the same way Koji had several days ago. It was still early in the morning, but he wanted to be back before nightfall. He decided to pick up his pace as he found no sign of Kenji after the first hour. As he was searching, the question San had asked him earlier, if he had chosen a mate, was buzzing in his mind. He could remember her saying the he meant so much to her before she returned to the forest. His feelings were mutual, but now he wondered if she still felt that way.

After another hour of searching, something caught his eye. Ahead, he could see what appeared to be a horse lying down on the road ahead. An arrow was sticking out of its side.

"Oh no," Ashitaka muttered as he ran towards the dead horse. He could see Kenji's legs sticking out from under as he got closer. He pushed the horse off of Kenji with as much power as he could exert. He was several hours too late. He couldn't tell how Kenji had died, but he guessed that Kenji had been thrown off of his horse and then crushed. Ashitaka lifted him onto his shoulders so he could be properly buried. Before he left, he took one last look around him for any signs of whoever had done this. The body weighed heavy on his shoulders as he began his trek back to Irontown.

* * *

San was sitting on the couch in the main room as she waited for Ashitaka to return. She was surprised at how comfortable it was yet how it could hold her without collapsing. Her bad leg was stretched out with her good leg crossed below it. Her knife was laying next to her left hand, just in case she needed it. As she waited, she heard screaming coming from outside. There were several voices, all of them high pitched. The urge to peek outside a window bit at her, but she resisted. She listened and could hear one woman sobbing loudly outside. The sobbing continued for several minutes before it began to subside. Just as it stopped, the front door opened. San grabbed her knife and almost hopped onto her feet before she saw that it was Ashitaka. He appeared somber and silently sat down next to San after closing the door.

"What's wrong?" San asked. She could smell the scent of another human on his clothes. The scent, however, seemed to be rotten.

"I found Kenji," Ashitaka replied. He said no more as he rested his chin on his hands.

"What happened?"

"I don't know for sure, but his horse had been shot and he was under it when I found him. Maybe Lord Asano's men did it, if they're even in the area. Maybe he was killed by thugs who were hoping that he was carrying money." A brief moment of silence fell between the two before Ashitaka continued. He struggled to say anything more and simply gave up on trying. Watching Kenji's wife smiling as the gates were raised, only to see her drop to her knees and wail in grief, stung like a wasp. "Hopefully nobody else will be hurt."


	6. Chasing Shadows

Ashitaka had to go to Lady Eboshi to tell her about Kenji's death. As she listened, she wasn't sure if it was Lord Asano to blame. If it was Asano, his soldiers would have done more to ensure that Kenji was dead. It was one trait about he and his soldiers that she admired: they were brutally efficient. She wasn't sure how well Ashitaka knew Kenji but nevertheless informed him that he would be properly buried. "He was probably killed by bandits looking to snatch whatever money they could," She said, "Poor Hiroyo; I heard that she was expecting a child."

Ashitaka bit down on his lip and nodded. "I wish that I could tell you more, Milady," He said, "I'm sorry that I couldn't do more."

"Do not try place the blame of his death upon yourself," She snapped, "There's no way you could have known about this. Even if you were on patrol, you two have very different routes. I'll do what I can for Hiroyo. You have your own worries to deal with. Go on home to the Wolf Girl."

Ashitaka bowed and took his leave. As he walked home, he noticed that the streets were unusually quiet. Irontown wasn't very large and was a place where everyone knew each other. Many people were affected by Kenji's death. Ashitaka wondered what Hiroyo –Kenji's wife– was going through. He shook the thought out of his mind and entered his home with his eyes forward. San was laying on the couch, patting her stomach like a drum. The sight elicited a slight grin from Ashitaka.

"What did that woman say?" San asked.

"She doesn't think that it was any of Asano's men," Ashitaka replied as he took a seat next to San, "I guess that means we don't have to worry about an attack on the town."

"Who's Lord Asano?"

"He's a daimyo and one of Lady Eboshi's enemies. When she and Jigo went to go kill... you know, he attacked Irontown. I don't know too much about him, myself."

"Why would he attack your town?"

"For the iron in the mountain. If he had succeeded, he would have done the same thing Lady Eboshi did to the forest. I can't say that he would be a better leader; probably not." Ashitaka shook his head as he tried to remember what he and San were talking about earlier before they were interrupted. "I know Lady Eboshi said that I couldn't have prevented it, seeing as how it seemed to be so random, but I feel like if I was patrolling the forest yesterday, I might have been able to catch whoever did it before they could have killed him."

"If my brothers were around, they would have likely driven them away for you," San remarked, "Was this human a friend of yours?"

"I wouldn't say we were friends. Irontown isn't very big, so everybody knows everybody. He worked a path different from mine, one which many of the townspeople believe to be the safer route, so I never spoke to him very much. Still, I know that he had several close friends and Lady Eboshi said that his wife is with child."

San was having difficulty empathizing with Ashitaka. She had never felt upset when she saw a human die, no matter who they were. She knew of no way to lift his spirits, not in any way that he may have been used to. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to finish my story, but I'm not feeling very much like talking right now."

"No, I understand... I think. Maybe we can talk more tomorrow? It's relaxing."

Ashitaka smiled and said that he would love to. He glanced at the covered windows and saw tiny particles of dust floating in the light. "It's still light out. If you want, I can go hunting and bring you something."

"Sure; I'd like that." Ashitaka nodded and went to get his bow and arrows. He thought that perhaps hunting would take his mind off of things for a while. Before he left, San asked him if he could try to find her brothers. "They know you, so they probably won't attack if they see you."

"It shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

Kaizoku stood nervously at the foot of the ladder which lead to the above deck. The two white wolves that had been captured were beginning to awaken. He didn't know what had been used to put them to sleep but he wished that he had some of it. The wolves were larger than any he had seen before, about the size of large horses. He had been instructed to remain in the lower deck until they arrived at the Tango Province. The trip would take them a few more weeks, but he had been told that they would be so well compensated that they would never need to set foot on a ship again. He had been wondering how much that would be, considering that the wolves would be taken to Kyoto once they were taken off of the ship.

Okami was the first of the two to awaken. He could smell salt and hear water crashing outside. As his senses returned, he could smell his brother and a human. He couldn't recognize the human's scent, though he smelled different from the other humans in Irontown. This one smelled heavily of fish and grime. The walls around him were made of moldy wood. In addition to the water outside, he could hear the human's quickening breaths. More voices could be heard above him.

As Okami raised his head, he heard the human whimper. He could smell the fear radiating from the small man. The wolf glared at the human with his red and yellow eyes. The human gasped and took two steps back, bumping against the ladder. Okami nudged Urufu until his brother was awake. The younger wolf was quick to his feet. The two were in heavy steel cages that were only slightly larger than they.

"Where are we?" Urufu asked Okami, growling so that the human couldn't understand them.

"I think this is called a ship," Okami replied as he examined the room they were in, "Humans use it to travel over water. We're probably on a lower level."

"What about that human? Who is he?"

"He's dead!" Okami barked as he rammed his skull against the cage. Other than a small ringing in his head, the headbutt didn't seem to do much. Okami shook the stars out of his head. He had heard the human scream as the metal bars rang. Although initially frustrated, he noticed that his bash against the cage had made a very slight dent. "How long do you think it will take us to get out of this cage?"

"A few days if all you did was keep smashing your head against those bars. Still, I can't see any other way out."

"Then we will suffer for our freedom, as will our captors." Okami rammed his shoulder against the bars. Urufu growled in agreement and began to charge at the cage. The human began to panic and fled up the stairs.

* * *

Ashitaka glanced over the edge and down into the fast-moving river below. He had found no sign of San's brothers yet, nor any sign of who may have taken them. He had encountered Yakul and told the elk to be back in Irontown before it was dark. Yakul didn't protest in any way, as he was privy to the predators that came out at night. Before the two parted ways, Ashitaka asked Yakul if he knew where the wolves were. Yakul shook his head.

A thin ledge led to a cave close to the river. Ashitaka climbed down the rocky face and hopped onto the ridge, managing to keep his balance. He shuffled over to the cave yet found no sign of the wolves. He walked in anyway, exploring the cave for several minutes until he reached the end. It was a rather straight cave without much depth. Other than a few dead leaves, the cave was empty. Ashitaka sighed and left the cave. Before making his way back up the ledge, he glanced down into the river, though he doubted that San's brothers would have drowned. He gave up on finding San's brothers for now.

Ashitaka continued deeper in the forest. He kept his eyes on the forest floor as he searched for animal tracks, preferably deer or boar. He finally found a wild boar at a stream. Ashitaka hid behind a tree as he silently notched an arrow. He crept around the trunk and took aim. His lungs full of breath and his hands as steady as a mountain, he released the arrow.

San had trouble staying awake while lying down on the couch. The inability to run, swim, or do any of the things she would normally do to pass time had initially made been agitating. Now, it was simply tiring. The only things which kept her awake were the scents and sounds of the town. The streets were unusually quiet, though Ashitaka had said that his kind was often silent during times of mourning. She could smell food from the houses around her. In one, somebody was eating a plate of roasted pig. She wondered if the meat was from one of the boars who had died in the battle. In a way, she hoped that was the case, as it would have meant that their bodies had been put to some use. Another human was cooking some sort of soup, perhaps chicken. With the soup, San could smell eggs and more pig. Something else was being cooked with the soup, though she couldn't identify the smell.

The door to Ashitaka's house swung open. San was quick to ready her knife, but lowered it once she saw Ashitaka slip through. She set her knife down and rested her head on the couch.

"I couldn't find your brothers," Ashitaka apologized, "I was able to get this, though." He held up a small boar that he had been carrying over his shoulders. "Do you eat meat raw?"

San shook her head, "Every time I try, I get sick," She replied, "It's one of the only reasons I learned to light fire, the other being to stay warm."

Ashitaka nodded as he took a knife hidden in his shelf and went outside to gut the pig. He removed his sleeves before doing so, along with his shoes. There was an area in Irontown where the townspeople performed such bloody tasks: a grate of bamboo where the blood flowed through and seeped into the earth. Ashitaka was quick to gut and skin the boar. The smell of its blood pouring into the dirt did little to bother him.

As San was lying down, she recognized a new scent. If it was any other human, it would have been a pleasant smell. The woman was cleaner, more refined than the other humans. Judging by how her scent grew, she was getting closer. San gritted her teeth until she was sure the woman wasn't going to enter. She seemed to stop several houses away. San could her muffled sobs coming from the same house. She realized that the sobbing was from the wife of the man Ashitaka had been searching for several hours earlier. She wondered why that woman was over there.

"I'm almost done," Ashitaka announced as he grabbed a few bags of rice from his shelf before quickly leaving, closing the door behind. San wanted to curl up and fall asleep, but leg couldn't bend and her stomach was keeping her awake. Some time later, Ashitaka came back in two grab a couple bowls. Not long after, he came in with two bowls of rice and roasted pig. The savory scent made her mouth water. He handed her one bowl and she quickly began eating. He sat opposite her, eating at a slower pace with chopsticks. He smiled, happy to see that she was enjoying the food.


	7. November Rain

Five weeks passed by with no sign of San's brothers. Five weeks of hiding amongst a town of humans who wanted her dead. Compiled with her inability to go in the forest or even step foot outside, San had been in constant stress. Her hair had grown long, her limbs felt weak from inactivity, and her back was beginning to feel stiff from lying down for most of the day. Ashitaka did what he could to help her, but eventually he was called back to work. Kenji's death had sparked fear in Irontown. Nobody would take Kenji's position as scout, yet many feared for their safety outside the walls. Eboshi asked Ashitaka if he would resume his old duties for some time. He agreed, asking first to allow San's arm to heal.

After the first five weeks, San was able to move her once-broken arm more freely. It felt odd after having not moved it for so long. She shook the numbness out of her arm. Swinging her dagger at the air helped to revive her dead arm. Ashitaka further helped by rubbing her arm, returning some feeling. When he left, she still felt like something was pulling her chest. She felt heavy, like her body was made of stone. She cursed her weak body. Her brothers would never have been hurt so easily as she.

Ashitaka began to scour the forest for any signs of Kenji's killers. In the back of his mind, he had doubt that he would find anything significant. Five weeks without any sort of inquest to his death was enough time for anyone to have covered their tracks. He and Yakul searched around the area where Kenji had been found. The early autumn weather had brought in long desired rain for the farmers. For Ashitaka, however, it only made it more difficult to find whoever had killed Kenji. The first day of his searches yielded no results. The second day delivered the same results.

As did the fifth day.

As did the tenth day.

As did the twentieth day.

On the twenty-first day, he encountered somebody he didn't expect to find on the road to Irontown. It was early in the day when he encountered Jigo heading to Irontown. Resentment towards the monk lingered in Ashitaka's heart, but he still spoke politely towards him. He neglected to mention that San was at his house. When Jigo brought her up, Ashitaka told him that she was likely at her den.

"Really? I thought for sure she would have gone in search of her brothers," Jigo remarked, "I assume you don't know about them?"

Ashitaka was more surprised that Jigo knew about San's brothers. Instead of mentioning this, he asked Jigo, "What do you mean?"

"You know who the emperor is right? Of the power he wields? You should; your people have quite the history with his own ancestors. Anyway, after he learned that he wouldn't be able to have the Forest Spirit's head he began to wonder if the blood of a living god would be able to make him immortal. Well, some things led to another, and he learned of those two wolves. The reward he's offering for them is comparable to that he offered for the Forest Spirit's head."

"How did he find out about the wolves?" Ashitaka asked with a clear tone of suspicion. Jigo gave a disingenuous shrug with the slightest hint of a grin on his face.

"I wasn't going to try and capture them, trust me. I don't have the money or the manpower to do that, no thanks to you. Besides, it would be suicide for anybody to try and transport them to Kyoto. Ah, that's where the Emperor lives, boy. It takes quite a long time to get from here to there, even with a horse. Sure, the men who captured them may have used some old magic or some strange brew to capture the wolves, but that won't keep them down forever."

"Do you know who captured them?"

"Yes, I actually do. A bunch of pirates who will not only be given a hill of gold, but also be forgiven of their past crimes. I don't know how big their ship is or how they're transporting those two, so who knows when they'll be back."

"You seem confident that they'll escape."

"Oh, come on, boy, you've seen those two. They can probably break through steel if they wanted to." Jigo glanced up towards the sun. He shielded his eyes from the stinging rays of light. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I need to get to Irontown."

"Why's that?"

"Lord Asano isn't very fond of me. Fortunately, he isn't fond of Lady Eboshi either. I can't go into too many details, but I can tell you that she and I are working towards our mutual interests. I'll talk to you later, if I see you." The two bowed and went their separate ways. Jigo strolled on to Irontown while Ashitaka continued to search in vain. When the bright morning sun dipped behind the mountains and made the blue sky orange, he returned to Irontown. As Yakul galloped back to town, it began to rain. When the two arrived home, Gonza was at the gates to inform Ashitaka that he wouldn't have to continue searching.

"It's been too long," Gonza said, "Lady Eboshi said that you don't have to continue searching. There's been too much rain for anything to remain. I'm sorry."

Ashitaka was silent as he nodded. His head was low as he brought Yakul to the stables. He stroked the elk's muzzle for a while before he eventually returned home, feeling defeated by his failure to find whoever had killed Kenji. The rain was beginning to pour and thunder could be heard in the distance. He shut the door behind him and tossed his straw cloak onto the table. He undid his red hood and removed his sleeves, laying them both on top of the cloak. San watched him with a curious expression, an eyebrow slightly raised and her head barely tilted to the left.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"I failed," Ashitaka admitted, "I hope Kenji's spirit is able to find peace even if he won't receive justice." Ashitaka sat in silence with one hand over his mouth and a finger scratching his cheek. "I was able to find out something about your brothers, so I guess the day wasn't entirely wasted."

San's eyes lit up and became wide once she heard the mention of her brothers. However, when Ashitaka told San that Jigo had told him about them, her joy began to sour. When he reiterated the monk's story, she became even more bitter. Her eyes became narrow and her face was twisted in anger.

"My mother was right," San growled through gritted teeth, "You humans really do only think for yourselves."

While Ashitaka understood why San harbored an intense grudge towards humans, he had been hoping that she would have lost some of that hatred while in Irontown. Not only had he been treating her, but Takahiro had been coming in every few days to check on her and Toki had been kind enough to help when she could. "San, you do know that not all humans are like that, right? Look at me, Toki, and Takahiro!"

"That is three humans who have shown me kindness, I will admit, out of how many who want me dead for trying to defend my home?"

"San, I get why you would be resentful towards humans, but that doesn't mean that the man next door is going to be as wicked as the Emperor."

"I have lived nineteen years of my life fighting against these monsters!" San roared as a clap of thunder boomed outside, "I have known them for longer than you have!"

"You may have known them longer, but I know them better!" Ashitaka lashed back.

"You don't know these humans until you've seen how evil they are!"

"The only reason that you think every human is evil is because you refuse to forgive them!" Ashitaka took a deep breath and calmed himself, "Maybe you won't forgive Lady Eboshi or Jigo, that I can understand, but there are many here who are undeserving of your hate."

"Maybe you see something in them, but there is nothing good about your kind. I refuse to forgive them because they're evil."

"No! You refuse to forgive them because you're bitter, just like Moro!" He shouted.

San responded with a swift punch to Ashitaka's face that made a loud smack. She couldn't tell where she punched him; it felt like she hit him on the side of the jaw or close to his eye. He clutched the area where she had struck him and stumbled back in pain. Both eyes were shut as he winced at the hornet-like sting. "I don't care what you think of me! I hate all humans!" San declared, "Even you!"

Ashitaka didn't give any response as he staggered back. He leaned against the wall for support as he tried to maintain his balance. A cut had opened just below his eye. Blood trickled down his left cheek and dripped onto the floor. He wiped the blood away from his cheek. His left eye, where he had almost been hit, was shut as he moved towards San. She grabbed her knife, expecting him to retaliate. Instead, he gathered his cloak and hood. He threw on both as he left the house. San opened her mouth to ask where he was going, but he was out the door before she could. She dared not follow him and reveal herself to the humans. Instead, she limped back to the couch and sat down.

Ashitaka stormed past the stables as Yakul looked on curiously. He favored his cheek as he asked for the gate to be lifted.

"Are you sure? It's still raining," The gate guard called down, "Where are you going?"

"To the forest; I think I lost something," Ashitaka replied, "Something that means a lot to me." The guard nodded and called for the gates to be opened. Ashitaka ducked under before the gates were fully opened and made his way to the forest. He didn't know exactly where he was going until he found himself walking to the Forest Spirit's pond. When he arrived there, he plopped onto a fallen log. He breathed in deeply and slowly as he tried to lighten his heavy heart. He rubbed the area where he was struck. When he pulled his hand away, he saw that it was the same hand that had been cursed by Nago. The mark was still there, faded yet visible. As he stared at the mark, it reminded him of why he had come here: to see with eyes unclouded by hate. He didn't feel without hate. Castigating San, especially with his choice of words, didn't help. Perhaps there was a better way to show San that humans aren't all bad. He sighed and held his head in hands.

San traced the edge of her knife with her finger as she sat in silence. She glanced at the door once every few minutes. Each time she looked over, her chest seemed to grow heavier and sink. She didn't know why. He knew not of the bitter life she, her mother, and her brothers had led. He was the prince of a hidden village which hadn't seen battle in centuries. She couldn't forgive those creatures, not for what they had done. As for him, he was different, very different. Perhaps it had to do with how he was raised, but he was unlike any other human. But why would he defend the others? He wasn't blind, he knew of the atrocities that had been committed here, but what about them made those actions forgivable? He even once said that woman was not as bad as San thought. She didn't believe him.

As she sat alone in the dark, she found herself tapping on the wooden splint keeping her leg straight. She felt weak and ashamed that a human had put that on her. Still, even if it restricted her from moving around, she was thankful. She was yet to meet the man who treated her wounds after Ashitaka had brought her here. She wondered if he was anything like Ashitaka.

She shook her head. Humans weren't that generous. But then, Ashitaka had given her so much. He brought her to safety when he could have left her for dead. He had been giving her everything she needed while hiding her in his home when he knew he could have been in trouble if she was found. It was a kindness that reminded her of her mother and brothers, how they would always help her no matter how dire the situation. And how did she repay his kindness? She struck him and yelled, saying she hated him. Never before had she felt bad for attacking a human. Now she wondered what Ashitaka was doing, if he hated her, when he would be coming back. Her chest heaved as a month's worth of agony, stress, anger, sorrow, and worry began to silently flow down her cheeks.

Ashitaka returned after the rain had passed. He guessed that he had been gone for about an hour, maybe two. He noticed that San was asleep on the couch, using her pelt as a blanket. He felt broken looking at her, but some much needed time alone helped him remain collected.

As he retired to his bedroom, he noticed that the drawer had been opened. San must have forgotten to close it when she retrieved her pelt. He changed into his nightclothes before he began to close the drawers. When he got to the bottom drawer, he noticed that the necklace he had given to San was missing. He looked in the other drawers to see if it had been misplaced but was unable to find it. He hoped that San hadn't broken the crystal out of spite. Even if she no longer wanted it, he could have at least kept it. He went over to see if it had been caught on her cloak-like pelt when she took it from the drawer. To his surprise, San was wearing the necklace. The red rope was looped around her neck and the tiny crystal blade was resting against her collarbone


	8. San's Gratitude

Ashitaka awoke to the warmth of the sun beaming down on his face and blinding his eyes. He sat up and wiped the weary feeling from his eyes. He changed into his somewhat damp clothes. He went to see if San was asleep, or even still in his house for that matter. She was laying on her side, her bad leg outstretched. The areas around her eyes were dark and red. He wondered if she had fallen ill or came into contact with something she was allergic to. He made a mental note to ask her about it when she awoke. He took some bags from his shelf and began to make his breakfast.

San was awoken by the scent of pig meat cooking outside. Ashitaka's bow and arrows were still She rested her head on the couch as she waited for Ashitaka to come back inside. He eventually returned with two bowls of rice with slices of boar on top. Her mouth began to water.

Ashitaka looked over to see if San was awake. Her eyes were open, though her eyelids drooped over. "Good morning," He greeted as he set one of the bowls on the table, "I'm sorry about last night." Ashitaka offered the other bowl to her. She sat up and took the bowl, but she didn't begin eating right away. The warmth of the bowl flowed into her cold hands. She whispered a quick thank you. "Are you sick?" He asked, "Your eyes look red."

"No, I'm fine," San replied.

"There's nothing wrong then?"

San sighed as she set the bowl down. She stared at the ground as she said, "Ashitaka, I'm sorry for what I did last night." Ashitaka said nothing as he set down his bowl, closed his mouth, and looked over to San with wide, stunned eyes. "I shouldn't have hit you."

"San, no, I provoked-"

"It's my fault as much as yours," She interrupted, "I've been ungrateful for what you've been doing for me for the past few weeks. I may have expressed my thanks the first week I was here, but not recently." Ashitaka could hear an undertone of stress in San's voice as she spoke. "I know that it isn't your fault that my brothers are missing, nor is it because of any of your friends. I can't stay here, though, not around all of these other humans. The moment my leg is healed, I'll go home." Ashitaka understood and nodded. He had expected San would go home as soon as possible.

"Alright." He simply said. He finished eating and went to get his weapons for scouting. As he slung his sword into its sheath, he noticed San breathe deep, slow breaths. He wondered if she was keeping something back. He asked her if there was something she was trying to say. She appeared as though she was going to shake her head in response, but she nodded instead. "What is it?"

San hesitated before finally saying, "My mother would be disappointed in me. First I was ambushed by humans, then I have to accept their help, and now..." Her voice trailed off as she glanced up at Ashitaka. She didn't continue.

"You once said that I meant a lot to you. Do you think that's one reason that your mother would be disappointed?" San nodded. Her hands were clenched into fists. "Why would she be?"

"Because you're human. You're a wonderful person, but I can't forgive your kind for what they've done. This place may have been rebuilt, but there are parts of the forest that are far from recovering."

"I'm sure your mother would rather have you be happy than constantly fighting humans."

San recalled the times when Moro would tell her not to attack a train of humans, even though they were close. She would explain that her brothers weren't there and she would get hurt. When she was younger and received such warnings, it made her feel weak. She wanted to fight, but her mother told her to be patient. As she matured, she realized the wisdom behind her mother's concerns and readily heeded her warnings. Still, her mother would have gladly died to have killed that woman and drive the humans away. San was no different. "No; she knows that I would have accepted death if it meant driving my knife into that woman's skull."

"What about now, though? The fighting is over and Lady Eboshi has promised to leave the forest at peace."

"My mother died for that, along with so many others. I still don't believe that she would want me to be so closely associated with humans. Then again, she may not have objected to somebody like you. I'm not entirely sure and I never will be. My brothers would probably be able to offer me more insight."

"They'll be back soon enough." Ashitaka peeked open one of the shutters and quickly looked towards the direction of the sun. "I need to get going. I'll see you in a few hours."

San nodded and Ashitaka left. As he was walking to get Yakul, a thought crossed his mind. He had a heavy blanket that he kept on Yakul's back for when it was raining hard. It was large enough to fit over the elk's body. It could probably fit something smaller under it as well. He quickly went back home and asked San if she wanted to go to the forest for the day. Her face brightened as she eagerly said yes. Ashitaka brought Yakul to the house and told San to lay under the blanket. San did her best to get as low as possible. When the gate guard asked what Ashitaka had under the blanket, Ashitaka said that it was some supplies he needed for hunting.

As soon as they were out of earshot, Ashitaka asked San where she wanted to go. She said that she wanted to go to the Forest Spirit's pond. There was nothing for her at home until her brothers were back. San sat up from under the blanket as they reached the pond. Autumn was in full swing. The leaves were orange and crisp. Each step Yakul took made a small crack from the leaves below his hooves. The pond had some leaves floating on its surface, a mix of soft orange ones and brittle brown ones.

Ashitaka helped San off of Yakul and asked her where she wanted to sit. She pointed at a log that was halfway in the pond. After he had set her down, he said that he would be back in a few hours. She nodded and lay herself down on the hard, rough surface of the fallen tree. Her bare feet pointed towards the water while the back of her head rested on her hands. She took in a deep breath of the cold, autumn air. It was refreshing to smell the leaves, the water, the flowers, and the other scents of the forest. It seemed like she had been in that town for years. Her eyes traveled to the splint, reminding her that she would still need to stay in Ashitaka's house for another eleven weeks or so. It was stressful, even if necessary. The loneliness of the confined space she had to stay in made it feel like a prison. When Ashitaka was around, it seemed to be a much livelier, more welcoming place. Still, her feelings for him had wavered before. Now they seemed to be coming back.

"No," She muttered to herself, "Mother wouldn't approve of that. How could a human love a wolf?" A miniscule mosquito landed on her cheek. She waved it away before it could make a bite. Once it had gone, she stared at her own hand. She looked nothing like her brothers. No hair on her hands, arms, legs, face, or even her body. Why? Why was it she looked nothing like a wolf? Even the apes seemed to believe that she was human. She curled her fingers and outstretched them repeatedly. Her nails were nothing compared to her brothers' claws. They could make a deep cut in the tree she was lying on. She could barely make a scratch on the same trunk. "Perhaps I'm..."

She shook her head and placed her hands on her stomach. The pond was still, silent. The only sounds were those of birds chirping nearby. San began to whistle a tune, a lullaby her mother sang to her as a child. She could remember the lyrics perfectly and had memorized each note. Even now, it made her drowsy. Perhaps her tiredness was because of the excitement of being back in the forest had begun to leave her body. It mattered little to her as she drifted off to sleep.

Ashitaka returned once the sun began to set and found San asleep. He gently lifted her off of the log and placed her in front of him atop Yakul. She awoke on the ride home, and by then the sun had painted the sky red and orange. She hid under the blanket until they were back at Ashitaka's house. He carried her in the blanket and gently set her down on the couch. She was smiling as she freed herself from under the cover. Ashitaka returned as soon as he brought Yakul back to the stables. He was happy to see that San's spirits had been lifted.

The two's dinner was similar to their breakfast, though they had eggs to go with it. Ashitaka went to go to sleep; San said she would be there soon. She sat at the table for a few minutes, not saying a word. Ashitaka wondered what she had in mind. He didn't have to wait for long to find out, as when San came to his room to sleep, she asked if they could talk about something tomorrow.

"What about?" Ashitaka asked as San laid her crutch down to the side.

"Us," She said.

* * *

The ship arrived at a small village of the Tango province. Thirty-five men, armed with spears, bows, and blades, awaited the arrival of the two wolf gods. Heavy steel cages were waiting to be pulled back to Kyoto where the Emperor was waiting. The villagers had been told not to watch the men as they carried out their duties. Those who stared to long were given a verbal warning. Those who persisted were beaten. Some curious children were led away by their parents.

The ship showed no signs of slowing as it approached the docks. The thirty-five men began to back away as the front of the ship began to near. They sped away once they saw the lumbering ship crash into the docks, sending wood and splinters in every direction. The momentum of the ship decreased as it continued to barrel through the dock. It only stopped when the water became too shallow for it to continue anymore. Once it stood still, ten men were ordered to investigate what had happened.

The first thing each man saw when they reached the top deck was the bodies of half of the crew. Heads had been ripped from shoulders, limbs were strewn about, and viscera seeped from mangled torsos. The rich, iron smell of blood filled the air. The group reluctantly continued to the lower deck and found more eviscerated corpses. The lowest deck, where the wolves were supposed to have been held, where near-empty, save for the body of one man. His ribcage seemed to have exploded. The cages which had kept the wolves were broken. Bits of steel were scattered across the floor. Each cage had a large gaping hole that could fit a draft horse. The men returned back to the others to deliver the news. As they walked up to the top deck, they noticed bloody paw prints.

Okami and Urufu shook their fur dry as they swam up to the shore. They spat the salt water from their mouths and shielded their eyes as drops of water flew from their hides. Their shoulders were sore from bashing against the cages. Okami, who had been using his head as well, still had a slight ringing in his ears. It would pass, eventually, but it was enough to annoy him.

"Which way do you suppose we go?" Urufu asked.

Okami, with teeth barred and a low growl emitting from his throat, replied, "We head west, where our home is. We find our sister, be her dead or alive. If we discover that she is dead, the humans will pay dearly."

Urufu nodded in agreement. "We will be a scourge worse than a tsunami of fire. Let them hope that San is unharmed."


	9. San's Confession

San was the first to awaken. It was barely dawn and the house was still dark. She rolled out from under the covers, hopped onto her good leg, and grabbed her crutches for support. She made her way to the main room and sat down on the couch. She listened for the humans outside, but she could only hear crickets. She must have woken up early. She remained patient as she waited for Ashitaka to wake up. She was anxious to speak with Ashitaka, to clear the air between them. She had been feeling odd lately. It was something she had felt only once before: when she and Ashitaka departed ways after returning the Forest Spirit's head. She put her mind at rest for now. While she waited, she found her knife and cut her hair, making it neck-length once again. She peeked outside the front door and tossed her discarded locks outside. The hair was picked up by the breeze, cast over the wall, and finally rested on the shore of the lake.

The cold autumn morning greeted Ashitaka by biting his skin and chilling his body. He spotted San sitting on the couch in the main room. She had wanted to talk to him about something. "Us," She had said the night before. Ashitaka wasn't sure what to think. He was glad that San wanted to talk, but he wasn't sure what she meant by "us".

"Good morning," He greeted, "How's your leg feeling?"

"It feels numb," San replied.

"Takahiro said that would happen since you can't move it around very much. He also said that it may feel funny to walk on it for a day or two once it's healed." San nodded, remembering how her arm felt when she finally regained complete use of it. "Do you want something to eat?"

"Maybe later." She hesitated before finally saying, "Do you remember that I wanted to talk to you about something?"

"Of course I do. You said you wanted to talk about us?"

"Yes."

"What do you mean by 'us'?"

San hesitated once again. She hadn't thought out exactly she was going to say. Ashitaka sat in one of the chairs across the couch. San did her best to maintain eye contact with him, but every now and then she found herself glancing down at the floor.

"A few days ago, I said that I hate you," She began, "I want you to know that isn't true, I was just caught up in the moment. I don't hate you, I just feel strange around you."

"What do you mean strange?"

"Something I've never felt before, not around other humans, not around my brothers, Moro, or anyone else. My chest feels strange, almost like I'm being tickled. I don't feel the need to keep my eyes on you to make sure you're not going to attack me. It's like trust, only there's more to it."

"I know how you feel. I feel the same way around you."

"What is it, then?"

Ashitaka paused briefly, thinking if there was a better term or another way he could say love, something more subtle. In the end, he said, "Perhaps love?" San's head tilted to one side. She knew what love is; she loved her brothers and had greatly loved her mother. She explained this to Ashitaka, to which he understood. "There are different sorts of love, San. You're talking about the type you feel for your parents and siblings. The other side of it is when," Ashitaka began to struggle with how he could say something that he knew San would understand, "It's like when choosing a mate. You don't randomly select someone, you choose somebody you want to spend your life with."

San nodded and said, "I see what you mean. But why would I be feeling that if I don't love you?" Ashitaka was taken aback and asked what she meant. "I know I said you mean a great deal to me, and you do, but if loving someone means spending your life with them..."

Ashitaka looked around him and knew what she meant. She couldn't live like he did, as a human. She could barely spend a few weeks in his house without feeling bitter. How would she be able to spend her life with him? He could always go to the forest with her, but the people of Irontown looked up to him. He was one of their bravest and one of their strongest. He couldn't just leave them behind. "San, you don't need to spend your life with somebody to love them. I know that some things just aren't able to work out."

San bowed her head. "If you could leave this place, if ever a time arose when these people no longer need you, then things could be different. But for now, it is not the right time. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I don't want you to live with me if it means you're miserable. I know that the only reason you're still here is because of your leg." Ashitaka stood up and asked San what she wanted to eat for breakfast.

* * *

Kenta and Misawa finally gave up on luring the wolves from their den. They had tried everything: throwing rocks, shouting profane insults, and even urinating at the foot of the hill. Nothing seemed to get them out of their cave. Kenta thought of firing off a round from the rifle he managed to swipe, but he knew that Ashitaka might hear the sound. It was bad enough that they were skipping work. If they were caught with a stolen weapon, who knows what sort of punishment they would face?

"Perhaps they're not here," Kenta said, "We've been at this since dawn. Let's go home."

"Why don't you go up there and check to see if they're home?" Misawa challenged, "You're the one with the rifle."

"Are you crazy? I'm not going up there!" Kenta handed Misawa the rifle and a few bullets. "You're the one who wants them dead so badly. I don't even know why I agreed to help you again."

"Whatever. Just keep an eye out for anyone who may get us in trouble."

Kenta nodded as Misawa turned to climb to the den. It was difficult to try and scale the side with the rifle in his hand, but there was no way he was going up without it. He had heard the story Ashitaka told of how Nago was destroyed by a single bullet. Perhaps a single bullet would kill the beasts who slayed his own son. He continued to climb the wall, almost losing his grip and gun, but finally managed to reach the mouth of the cave. He hugged the wall as he peered inside. The den was empty.

Before Misawa could announce to Kenta that the cave was empty, his friend emitted a high pitched whistle. Misawa tossed the gun into the den and scurried back down the hill. "Who is it?" He asked as he stood aside Kenta.

"Ashitaka," Kenta replied. The young man rode up to the two on his red elk.

"What are you two doing out here?" He asked, "Aren't you supposed to be working?"

"Yes, but, you see, Kenta and I are hunting," Misawa replied, "We're both a bit low on food so we thought that we could catch something in the forest."

"You two are hunting?" Ashitaka inquired with a noticeable tone of doubt.

"Yes; there's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No, I suppose not, but I can't help but notice that neither of you two have bows," Ashitaka pointed out, "You don't even have daggers." Misawa and Kenta both began to blabber excuses, but Ashitaka wasn't buying into any of it. "You're both a bit close to the wolves' home, aren't you?"

Kenta, realizing that they'd been figured out, admitted their true intent. "Yes, we know, we were looking for those damned wolves and that girl who lives with them."

"I thought I told you two to leave them alone."

"Why should my son's murderers be allowed to live?" Misawa shouted, "It's not just my own child who has been killed by those demons. Others have died by their hand as well, hardworking sons and fathers who help provide for their family."

"They were fighting back against the people trying to drive them out of their home. Would you have not done the same if Irontown were to be invaded?"

"Of course I would have. But that bitch and her dogs killed my son while he was delivering rice to Irontown, not while he was fighting."

"Cutting off an enemy's supplies seems like a standard tactic in warfare. I may not be supportive of such violence, but it's a sound strategy. And don't call her a bitch."

"What? She believes that she's a wolf, therefore she's a bitch." Misawa, who was just above Ashitaka's height and larger in frame, stood face to face with the boy. "I will not let that evil girl get away with killing my son."

"If you even try to touch her, then her brothers will rip your arms off. This is a cycle of retaliation that you're only fueling. Please, just stop the fighting already!" Misawa said nothing as he turned his back to Ashitaka and tapped Kenta on the shoulder. "Just how is it you two were planning to kill her brothers, by the way?"

"We have our means," Kenta replied as they made their way back to Irontown. Ashitaka thought of what they could have meant. He glanced up at the cave and wondered if they had gone up there. He climbed up to the cave and found a rifle laying towards the back, having apparently been thrown judging by the cracked stock.

"Lady Eboshi is going to be furious," He said to himself as he picked up the rifle. He returned to Yakul and had him turn around. "I need to give this back to Lady Eboshi and tell her what Kenta and Misawa were up to."

Ashitaka had Yakul speed back to Irontown. He didn't want the two men to arrive first and make up falsehoods that could get him in trouble. The gun was kept under the same blanket that he used to hide San when he brought her to the forest. When he brought the rifle to Lady Eboshi and told her about Misawa and Kenta, she was clearly displeased.

"One year ago, I told them to leave those wolves alone so they may become less hostile to us," Lady Eboshi said, "They've not only ignored my warning, but they had the gall to steal one of my guns." Eboshi's faint smile never seemed to dissipate, even when she was irate. "Jigo told me about the two wolves. I suppose it is fortunate that they weren't around. One shot and they would have ended up like Nago. As for Misawa and Kenta, I'll see to it that they're given a fair punishment. I can't let this slide, not at all. Not showing up for work is fine. They simply would not have been payed. Stealing this, however," Lady Eboshi said as she held the rifle in her hand, "Is more than simply withholding pay."

"What is it you plan to do with them?" Ashitaka asked.

"I'm not quite sure yet. There are a number of cages which sit empty and I never thought we would need to use them for one of our own. The men here are usually so reliable, so trustworthy. They should be glad that I'm not one of the other feudal lords. They would have lost their dominant hand, perhaps the entire arm as well. Some daimyo are even more extreme and make theft punishable by death." Lady Eboshi handed the rifle to Gonza so that it could be fixed. "I know that it hasn't been easy for you these past few weeks, Ashitaka. Go home and take care of that girl; I've finally found a man who will take Kenji's role as scout."

"Thank you, Lady Eboshi," Ashitaka said with a bow.


	10. Under the Weather

A harsh burning in Ashitaka's throat forced him awake. It was still early in the morning, dark but not to the point where he couldn't see. His throat had been itchy for the past couple of days but now it was unbearably painful. He placed the back of his hand against his forehead. Sure enough, his skin was warm as though he had been sitting next to a fire. He had difficulty breathing through his nose. He breathed through his mouth, further irritating his sore throat.

The cold winter air pierced his nightclothes. He opened the wooden shutters to his window and gazed at the white blanket of snow that covered Irontown. It had begun snowing only a few days ago. When he lived with the Emishi, he had only seen snow in the distant mountains. Seeing it up close and feeling its cold, icy texture excited him. However, as he patrolled the forest, he found that the snow wasn't all too amazing. It made the night even colder than before. Not only that, but it made it difficult for Yakul to walk through the forest and impossible for anything to grow. San both embraced and detested the arrival of winter.

"The snow is beautiful for the first few days it is here, but it kills the trees and leaves the forest cold and barren," She told him once, "It can even prove to be deadly to animals. During the winter, plants and trees die. This causes some animals that rely on those for nourishment to die, if they already haven't left to find a different source of food. This in turn causes animals that eat meat to die unless they hibernate."

Ashitaka had been advised to remain as warm as he could and that the cold could make him sick. Despite his efforts, it seemed that he had come down with some sort of illness. He was able to stand normally, though his body ached slightly. He decided that he would visit Takahiro later. In the meantime, made some tea to try to combat the cold and his dry throat.

The mildly bitter scent of tea woke San. It was almost a notice for her to wake up if she was still sleeping; Ashitaka made it every morning. Although she had initially disliked the taste, it had become enjoyable in the past ten weeks. She had once asked Ashitaka how he made it. He said that the flavor came from tea leaves, making San wonder if there were any in the forest.

San hopped up and retrieved her crutch. It would be another ten weeks before she could abandon it. When she entered the main room, she noticed that Ashitaka appeared sick. Sweat was forming on his forehead and neck, his eyes were watery, and he was breathing as though his nose was stuffy. He greeted her good morning and immediately went into a coughing fit.

"You sound like you may be sick," San remarked. Ashitaka nodded and said he felt horrible.

"I'm going to go see Takahiro later," Ashitaka said before he began coughing again, "He probably has something that can treat me."

"Is he the one who helped fix my arm and leg?"

Ashitaka nodded. "I'm going to visit in a few minutes."

After he and San finished eating, Ashitaka made his way to Takahiro's hut. The aging isha opened the door and took several steps back when he saw Ashitaka. He could tell that the young man had come down with some sort of illness, likely a cold. He invited him inside his hut. Ashitaka bowed and went inside with his hand clutching his forehead.

"I have a bit of a headache," Ashitaka explained, "I think I have a fever as well."

"You probably have a cold, then," Takahiro said. He had Ashitaka sit down so he could easier check on the young man. He saw that Ashitaka's eyes were watery. He asked Ashitaka if he had been coughing or sneezing. Ashitaka nodded and said that his throat was irritating. After a few more questions and a quick check on Ashitaka's throat, Takahiro confirmed that Ashitaka had a cold. The isha went over to a shelf of bottles and found a vial filled with a translucent, slightly tan liquid. "Drink this," He said, "It's made with tea leaves and a few other herbs."

Ashitaka nodded and swallowed the bitter liquid in one gulp. It tickled the itching part of it throat as it went down, making Ashitaka cough. "Thank you," He said as he took a small piece of gold from his pouch and offered it to Takahiro. The isha took the payment and placed it in a small bowl.

"I will tell Lady Eboshi that you shouldn't work today. I'll also have a pot of soup sent over; it will help with your sickness."

"Takahiro, that's too much. You don't have to do all that."

"Its standard for me, Ashitaka. Besides, you over-payed me."

Ashitaka thanked Takahiro once more, bowed, and left. He had his mask pulled over his mouth and nose. He only pulled it down to sneeze or cough. When he arrived back home, he lay down on the couch in the main room and told San he wouldn't be in the forest today.

"Takahiro may be over for a bit, as well," He said, "Just to drop something off."

San nodded and sat close by. The two talked for a while, mostly about Ashitaka's old village.

"My mother died in childbirth and my father died of a festered wound while I was still young," Ashitaka began, "I was only eight when he passed away, and the village elders believed I was too young and inexperienced to lead our people. They decided to wait until I was twenty-one before making me their official leader." He sneezed into his sleeve, causing him to pause briefly before continuing.

"If I still lived with them, I would be there leader in four weeks. Now that duty rests in my sister's hands, and she won't be their leader for another few years. That's probably for the best; she'll need to learn how to lead."

"Who taught you?"

"The village elders, mostly, especially the wise woman. She helped me become who I am today. Others around the village taught me how to fight with a sword, shoot a bow, and battle with only my hands. The wise woman taught me to use those as a last resort."

A knock on the door prompted Ashitaka to sit up. He answered the door and found Toki and Takahiro carrying a heavy iron pot. He thanked both of them and helped them put the pot on the table.

"You two don't need to stay if you don't-" Ashitaka began.

"Don't worry about it," Toki said, "Kohroku is sleeping and I don't have much to do since nothing ever grows during winter."

"It will take a few days for your illness to be cured," Takahiro said, "If it isn't gone within a week, come see me again." He bowed and left while Toki took the bowls on Ashitaka's shelf and poured soup into them.

"Would you like any..." Toki's voice trailed off as meant to ask San but realized she didn't know the wolf girl's real name. San didn't seem to notice and nodded.

"You remember Toki, right San?" Ashitaka asked. Again, San nodded silently.

"Hello," San mumbled as she shuffled onto the couch.

"How's your leg feeling?" Toki asked as she pointed to the splint on San's leg, "I can't imagine that you like having to wear that thing."

"Hopefully it will feel fine when I can use it again." Ashitaka handed San a bowl of soup. Amongst the noodles and hot chicken broth were cut up vegetables. "What is this?"

"Soup," Ashitaka replied before another coughing fit began, "I suppose it's supposed to help when you're sick."

"He probably put some sort of medicine in it," Toki said, "Even so, he said it would be safe for someone healthy to eat it, so I guess it could be that he mixed in some herbs."

Ashitaka and Toki continued talking while San sat silently. She had no interest in speaking with the woman. It was only when Toki began asking her some questions that she spoke.

"So where is it you live in the forest?" Toki asked, "Do you live in a cave?"

"Yes; both my brothers and I live in a den that stands high above the trees," San replied, "They usually sleep outside, though, because they find the inside to be too cramped."

"Your brothers, they're those two wolves right?"

San nodded in response.

"So if you can speak to them, can you speak to other animals, like the ones that aren't forest gods?"

"Most of them, yes. I once spoke with Yakul and he told me a little about Ashitaka's old village."

Ashitaka sat back as he listened to San and Toki speak. While Toki was outgoing and eccentric at times, he noticed that San was more quiet and reserved. Then again, San seemed to be a normally calm person when she wasn't angry. He just made sure that Toki didn't call San a human or even make an implication. He quickly interrupted her when she began to say, "What about your human par-"

"Toki!" He shouted while coughing at the same time.

"Ah, geez, at least cover your mouth," She said.

"Sorry, it's just that," Ashitaka beckoned her to lean towards him so he could whisper, "Do not try and convince San that she is a human. Do not even the possibility of her having human parents."

"Why?" Toki asked, "What harm could that do?"

"Just don't; trust me."

Toki glanced back to San, who hadn't been paying attention to what the two were saying. Toki then realized why Ashitaka didn't want her to call San human. "As I was saying, what about your parents? I assume Moro is your mother."

"Yes, but I don't know who her mate was," San replied, "She said that he died while battling humans, but I don't know how. It was apparently before they had guns."

"I wish I could tell you a bit about him, or maybe I don't, but I'm pretty sure that he wasn't around when I was brought here."

"What do you mean, 'brought here'?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Most of the women here, if not all of them, were brothel workers. Lady Eboshi bought our contracts and brought us here so we could live meaningful lives instead of selling our bodies."

"That's one of the reasons I didn't want you to kill Lady Eboshi when you had the chance," Ashitaka said to San.

"One of the reasons? Why else?"

Ashitaka explained to San how Lady Eboshi took in the lepers when nobody else would. He explained the disease, how it caused skin to rot and flesh to deform. "It's very easy to catch the disease, which is why so few ever want to be nearby a leper. Lady Eboshi, however, bandaged them, gave them some treatment, and gave them a life by having them build..." Ashitaka stopped there when he remembered that the lepers designed and built that guns that killed Moro and hundreds of others.

San and Toki continued speaking for a little while longer before Toki had to leave. She bade goodbye to Ashitaka and San before slipping through the front door and returning home. "She was nice," San remarked.

"I'm sure she liked your company," Ashitaka said before he was interrupted by a sneeze, "There are others like her, you know. Not exactly like her, but just as friendly." He took San's bowl and stacked it atop his own. He would have gone outside to wash them, but he decided it would be best to keep away from the cold. He sat down on a chair so that he wouldn't get San sick.

"How do you know her?"

"I helped her husband, Kohroku, out of the forest. He was part of a train of cattle that you and your brothers attacked."

San guessed that it was the one attack they did a few days before she tried to kill that woman. She felt no regret for her part in the ambush, even if it did cost the lives of some humans. Still, she supposed that it was fortunate that Toki's husband didn't perish.


	11. Clouded by Hate

It would be a few days before Ashitaka's cold completely cleared up. He immediately returned to work once he was well. San let him wear her fur pelt to help fend off the cold. He was sure that today would be like any other: he would ride around the forest for a few hours, find nothing, and return home. He knew that there was always a chance that it could be different. Today would be the day that his routine changed, if only for a few moments.

Ashitaka had gone over to San's den, passed the frozen pond of the Forest Spirit, and began to follow the path of the river. He knew it would eventually lead to the road to Irontown. As he and Yakul neared the road, something caught the corner of his eye. It was easy to spot the red sash amongst all the white snow and brown trees. He quickly and quietly dismounted Yakul and told the elk to stay back. He crept up to a tree and pressed his back against it. He glanced around the tree and spotted four men sitting behind a cluster of dead bushes. Three of them were keeping an eye on the road. The fourth man was facing away from Ashitaka, seemingly watching for something. The four men were dressed dark brown clothing. One of them was wearing a red sash. They were all armed; every man was carrying a dagger, one had a spear, two others had clubs, and one of them had a bow.

"We should just get going," One of them said, "It's been three days and nobody's passed through this road. The last guy we got here didn't even have much on him."

"Just be patient," Another one ordered, "You know that it usually takes us more than a few days for us to find anyone. We waited a whole two weeks once, remember?"

"Yes, but that was in the spring, when it wasn't cold and we could find food."

"Maybe we would have more if Satoshi didn't shoot that one guy's horse," Another one said, "You should have just shot the guy riding it instead. We could have received quite a bit of money from that animal."

"You three told me to shoot him quickly, so I shot the largest target," The fourth man said, "Next time, you three should jump out and surprise him. That will cause the horse to stop dead in its tracks and for me to get an easy shot on its rider."

 _They aren't talking about Kenji, are they?_  Ashitaka thought to himself,  _They must be; everything they said matched up with how Kenji died_. He clutched his bow as he pulled an arrow out and notched it. His face twisted into a scowl as he pulled back and stepped out from behind the tree.

Ashitaka's arrow struck the archer's right hand, causing the bowman to drop his weapon and shriek in pain. Ashitaka ducked back behind the tree and readied his next shot. The thugs had failed to see where the arrow's origin. This made it easy for Ashitaka to target the man carrying the spear. The arrow struck the highwayman in the knee, causing him to drop. Ashitaka threw his bow aside, unsheathed his sword, and dashed towards the two remaining men.

The man closest to Ashitaka swung wide. Ashitaka took advantage and created a deep gash in the man's bicep. Ashitaka whirled around and smashed the pommel of his sword into the thug's temple, taking him down in an instant. The last man was a bigger challenge. He was taller than Ashitaka and more muscular. His attacks were more controlled than those of the first. Ashitaka ducked and weaved as the blows missed him by mere inches. As Ashitaka was dodging the attacks, he noticed that the other men were starting to get up. He kicked the archer in the jaw and drove his elbow onto the third man's skull, knocking out both.

"Who are you boy?" The remaining highwayman asked as the two began to stalk each other in a circle, "What business do you have attacking my comrades?"

"You killed a man I knew," Ashitaka replied, "A man who was a caring husband and a soon-to-be father. A man who had done you know harm, whose name you didn't even know, and you killed him for what little money he had."

"Yeah, tell me about it. The arrow probably cost more than what he had on him." The thug smirked in an attempt to goad Ashitaka into making a foolish attack. Despite his desire to strike the man down, Ashitaka remained calm. It was a ploy that predated the Emishi. He knew it was effective, so much so that San once fell for it, but he would not allow himself to make such a naive error. In one last attempt to provoke Ashitaka, the bandit said, "Come to think of it, that arrow was probably worth more than the man it killed."

The man seemed to have finally broken Ashitaka. However, instead of side-stepping the boy and then clubbing his head into the earth, Ashitaka stopped pacing. He switched his sword from his right hand to his left. It was then that he charged towards the thug. Inches away from the man's reach, Ashitaka skidded to a halt. The highwayman had fallen for the trick and swung his club. Ashitaka immediately took advantage and cut through the man's right arm. The blade cleanly sliced the flesh and bone just below the elbow. The man began to scream in anguish and disbelief. Ashitaka did not want to hear it. He kicked the bandit in the head, stunning him but not fully knocking him out. Ashitaka retrieved his bow and stood over his fallen adversary. He reached for a third arrow, notched it, and pulled back. The defenseless, defeated thug looked up with pleading eyes.

Ashitaka was ready to release the arrow and allow the stone head to shatter the man's skull and end his life in the snow. Why would he let this man live? What good had he done? He had done nothing but show a callous disregard for human life. He was not fighting to defend his home or helping the downtrodden lead a good life. He was a thug, a bandit, a highwayman who earned money by stealing it from others who worked hard and earned what they received. Ashitaka's rage at his foe began to make his blood boil, his muscles quiver, and his face contort. He began to lose sense of his surroundings and focused solely on the space between the man's eyes. However, as he began to take aim, he noticed the purple mark on his hand. It seemed to have grown and returned. Shocked at the sight, Ashitaka whirled around and fired the arrow into the forest. His arrow would eventually strike a tree, causing snow to fall from the branches above.

Ashitaka shook his head and began to return to a more calm demeanor. He saw that the mark never really had grown; he had only been imagining its expansion. His breathing was slow and heavy as he slung his bow over his shoulders. He whistled for Yakul.

"I am bringing you to Irontown," Ashitaka said in a tone as cold as the surrounding snow, "I don't know what Lady Eboshi will have done to you. Your punishment will be for her to decide, and she is a fair woman. What you receive will be just." Ashitaka didn't bother to look at the cowering bandit as he spoke to him. Instead, he began to drag the unconscious bodies and lined them up. He apologized to Yakul for making him carry the three men, but explained that he had to make sure that the only one who could walk wouldn't try to escape.

* * *

The commotion outside could easily be heard beyond the walls of the house. San had been napping when she was awoken by the clamor. She opened the shutters little more than an inch as she peeked outside. Ashitaka was walking past the crowd alongside Yakul. The elk was carrying several bodies, two of which were bleeding. She noticed another human walking in front of Ashitaka. His right arm was wrapped in a red sash. She wanted to go outside and ask what had happened, but she dared not reveal herself to the humans. Instead, she practiced patience and waited for Ashitaka to return.

San had fallen back to sleep on the couch when she heard the door slam open. She scrambled for her knife, only to realize that she had left it on the table. However, her fears were subsided when she saw that it was Ashitaka who had opened the door. He had blood on his clothes. He went into his bedroom and removed his cloak. He removed his scabbard from his belt and laid the sword across the top of his dresser.

"Is something wrong?" San asked.

"Remember how I was lamenting never finding Kenji's murderers? I found them," Ashitaka replied, "They were robbers, just as Lady Eboshi suspected."

"You don't seem very happy about finding them."

Ashitaka sighed as he gazed at the blood staining his clothes. "I almost killed them. I know what they did was wrong, and I know that Lady Eboshi is probably going to have them executed. Even then, I wanted nothing more than to see them suffer, and that's not me. One of them taunted me, tried to have me make a mistake and throw myself at him. He was almost successful, and that's the part that scares me the most."

Ashitaka removed his pair of sleeves and set them to his side. He grimaced at the sight of the faded curse mark, a constant reminder to the ugliness of hatred. He rubbed his stinging eyes as they began to water. Lost in his thoughts, he wasn't expecting San to embrace him. When she did, he almost recoiled out of shock. However, her embrace was strong and sincere. His return was wholehearted. After a few moments, they released.

"Tell me what happened," San requested, "Perhaps that will make you feel better."

Ashitaka nodded and began with how he stumbled upon the men. At first, he merely described what he did to take out each men. He then told her about everything that he was feeling while he was confronting the thugs. His short story was only a few minutes in length, but those few minutes had relieved him of the anxiety he had been feeling. In turn, San talked about several times when she did something similar. Ashitaka was surprised to hear that, in none of the events she spoke about, she killed zero people. When he asked why she let them go, she said that she didn't feel like it was worth her time to chase them down.

"Do you know what's going to happen to those humans you brought with you?" San asked as their conversation began to dwindle down, "I would imagine they would be killed."

"That's what Lady Eboshi said was going to happen with them," Ashitaka replied, "She said that they were going to be executed by being cut in half. I don't know how I feel about that, if revenge as punishment is appropriate, but at least I can stop wondering who killed Kenji."

"Do you think he would have approved of their execution?"

Ashitaka paused for a moment before saying that he wasn't sure. "I'm sure his wife content with a death sentence. What I do hope is that the executions aren't public."

"Why's that?"  
"Witnessing the executions firsthand will only fuel the town's anger and leave a lasting impression on them. I would hate for something like that to happen to such good people."

"You shouldn't worry about it," San said as she placed a hand on his shoulder, "Everything will turn out fine."

Ashitaka smiled and took her hand. He knew she didn't love him, possibly because of how he explained how love works, but he was happy that she was supportive. She smiled at him as well, feeling that strange sensation she had felt several times before.


	12. Sunshine of Your Love

Ashitaka had hoped that the four murderer's executions would be private. He feared that a public execution would only cause hatred and rage to spread throughout the town. It was understandable why they would be angry, he knew, but that didn't mean it would be better for them to fan the flames of their fury. Just one quick slash of the sword and it would be over with. If it were to be made public, there would be so much more. The four would be brought out, tied in ropes, and exhibited to the enraged townsfolk who had gathered to watch the condemned be punished. A spectacle of their deaths would be made, and cheers would erupt as the first head rolled, then the second, then the third, and finally the fourth. This is why when Lady Eboshi informed Irontown that the impending execution would be in three weeks and held in the middle of the town, he was disheartened.

In the middle of the second week, Ashitaka visited Lady Eboshi to see if she would redact her decision. He knocked on her door and was greeted by Gonza. The big man led Ashitaka to Lady Eboshi. She was writing out the details of a trade offer on some wooden blocks. Gonza returned downstairs so he could keep track of which guards were checking in and out of their shifts. Lady Eboshi set down the block and paint brush on table of cherry wood. She and Ashitaka greeted each other. After a few minutes of idle chatter, she asked Ashitaka what it was he wanted to speak about.

"It's regarding the execution that's taking place in a few days," Ashitaka answered, "The one for those men who killed Kenji."

"If you're concerned about how they're to be killed, they are to be decapitated," She said, "It may seem brutal to you, but it is custom. I could have had them cut in half at the waist, hung, burned, even boiled to death. Believe me when I say that having your head cut off is a merciful death."

"How they die isn't my concern. I wanted to ask you if you would make it so that their executions weren't on display for the town to see."

Eboshi, with her unfading smile, sighed. Ashitaka had only ever heard of the methods of execution carried throughout the various domains in Japan. What she was doing would be tame to what a daimyo like Lord Asano would have done. The criminals would have been paraded around the town, humiliated, tortured, and then finally put to death. Even after they had been executed, their heads would be placed atop spikes for the birds. She planned to simply have the thugs' heads cut off and burn their corpses. No trace of them would remain as their ashes were buried into the snow and returned to the earth. "I assure you that their deaths will not be treated as a celebration or a party. It will be quick and over with in a short matter of time."

"Still, do you honestly believe that having them killed in front of everybody else would be best? What purpose does that serve?"

"The purpose which it serves is that of a warning. Life is hard, Ashitaka, and it sometimes takes the support of another to get through it. These men took away a man who served as that to his wife. I doubt that any of the townspeople would commit the same crimes as these men, but word would spread that we don't treat highwaymen very well."

"Is fear truly the best means of doing so? It seems like all it will do is make us sound ruthless."

"That is the point." Eboshi shook her head, somewhat amused at she and Ashitaka's conflicting philosophies. She admired his intentions, but believed that it would be far too impractical to pursue them. Besides, it wouldn't be the first time that the people had witnessed a public execution. The women had seen men put to death while they lived in the larger cities in Japan. The men who had lived in Irontown before Eboshi took power had seen a few each year. "Ashitaka, I'm going ahead with the public execution. You need not attend." Eboshi's grin widened and her eyes narrowed as she said, "I'm sure the Wolf Girl would love to watch, though."

Ashitaka flinched; Eboshi knew exactly how to make him back down. He didn't want to drag this down to a pointless argument. He thanked Lady Eboshi for her time and left. As he was returning home, he was debating on watching the execution. He knew that going would not do him any favors. He was curious, though, to see how everybody else would react. When he arrived back home, he talked to San about the matter.

"It seems like those humans are getting what they deserve," San remarked, "I would go if I could."

Ashitaka had expected an answer like that from San. "Why is it you would go if you already knew what would happen to these men?" He asked, "I don't see any benefit."

"I suppose it serves as a lesson to not commit the crimes that those humans did. You may hear about what happened as they died, but that is nothing compared being there yourself."

"Do you think I should go?"

San shrugged her shoulders and answered, "I can't answer for you. If you're curious, then I suppose. Maybe you'll understand why these people gather to watch their own kind die. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can leave without looking back."

Ashitaka nodded and was beginning to think he should go. Over the next few days, he gradually decided that he would arrive, if only for the crowd. He wondered who would be there and what they would think of the event. Toki said she would be there, as did Kohroku and Takahiro. Ashitaka even overheard Koji talking to his father about it.

* * *

The snow in the town's center had been shoveled aside so the wooden platform could rest on a flat surface. It was a simple, one foot high box where the condemned would sit on their knees and await the executioner's blade. Blood would spill of the sides and into the ground. Because Irontown lacked pavement, the blood would be absorbed into the earth. This same blood would christen the newly carved platform.

Ashitaka was one of the last to arrive. He spotted Toki and Kohroku in the middle of the crowd. Takahiro was standing towards the far right of the crowd. Hiroyo, Kenji's widow, stood at the very front of the crowd. One hand rested on her pregnant stomach. Her expression was bleak, as if this was something she had been expecting to occur some time ago. Ashitaka greeted back those who said hello to him as he made his way to Takahiro.

"I'm surprised you arrived," The isha remarked, "You don't seem like the type who would enjoy something like this."

"I'm not here for entertainment," Ashitaka said, "You don't seem like you're here for fun, either."

"You're correct. I don't have much of a reason for being here other than the fact that I'm interested in seeing how clean of a cut Gonza will make."

"Gonza is the executioner?"

"Yes, because he's the only one who will do it. Being an executioner isn't a job that earns you favors, largely because it deals with death. Even an isha such as I is often marked as one to avoid because of those who die under my care. Lady Eboshi doesn't believe in such things."

"Is your daughter here?"

"Yes; she's here because she wants to watch these men die for killing Kenji. She's a good friend of Hiroyo."

At last, the four men were presented to the gathered crowd. They were led unbound, flanked by masked men carrying spears. Gonza brought up the rear, holding his naginata in one hand. Lady Eboshi followed close behind him with her hat tilted down. The only visible parts of her face were her crimson, smiling lips. Gonza scowled at the four condemned men as he ordered them to stop a few feet behind the platform. The people in the crowd muttered and whispered amongst one another.

"I hope they draw it out," One woman said.

"Those monsters deserve to be thrown into the forest with their legs broken," One man remarked.

"Do you think Gonza's going to miss the neck and strike somewhere else?" One girl asked her friend.

"Who cares, just as long as they're dead, it doesn't make a difference to me," The man replied.

Ashitaka kept silent as the murmuring began to grow. The volume began to subside when Lady Eboshi called for attention.

"These four men are here because they have murdered one of our own," She began, "These four men, Goro, Kin, Takumi, and Hideki, are the men responsible for Kenji's death."

A wave of jeers erupted from the crowd. Insults were thrown at the four men, who stood with solemn faces. Hiroyo stood glaring at all four men with cold eyes.

"Today, they are to be punished in accordance for their crimes. Today, they will face the edge of a blade." Gonza held up a nodachi, a two-handed sword which resembled a giant katana. Roars of approval echoed from the crowd at the sight of the steel blade. Gonza twirled the sword in his hands for a few seconds, eliciting even more cheers from the crowd. Ashitaka remained silent.

One of the masked men who accompanied Eboshi and Gonza took Hideki by the arm and led him to the platform. Hideki was the archer whose hand had been pierced by Ashitaka's arrow. Long hair hung at the young man's shoulders as he took his place at the platform. Eboshi offered the man last words, but he said nothing. With a nod from Eboshi, Gonza twice tapped the side of the platform with the nodachi's blade. Hideki sat with his hands resting on his thighs as Gonza raised the blade to the sky and swung down. A loud cheer exploded out of the crowd as Hideki's black locks were cut and his head dropped to the ground. His blood leaked off of the platform, staining the wood red.

Ashitaka recoiled at the sight but managed to keep his eyes on what was going on. Gonza kicked Hideki's body onto the ground and ordered Goro to come up to the platform. He was a handsome man with short black hair and a faded scar above his right eye.

"Place my head above your town's gates," He asked, "I have a rather nice face."

With these as his last words, the blade swept through Goro's neck. Ashitaka rubbed his eyes but forced himself to look on.

Takumi was next. Ashitaka was astounded at the highwayman's youth. He was no older than Ashitaka, perhaps even a year younger. Regret shone in his tear-filled eyes as he took his place at the platform.

"I'm sorry for my role in whatever grief I may have brought upon any of you," He stammered, "You need not forgive me, as I wouldn't do so."

The downward strike from the nodachi cut through Takumi's ponytail and sent his head rolling to the side. The tumult from the crowd was just as loud as before. Ashitaka was looking down and covering his eyes with one hand. He regretted this decision.

 _Just one more_ , He thought,  _One more and you can leave._

The last man, Kin, had a wrinkled face marred by time. His arm was missing, courtesy of Ashitaka. His bald head could almost reflect the blade that hung above it.

"He was just another casualty," He said about Kenji. Gonza shook his head and raised the blade high into the air. The force of this swing was greater than that of the previous three. Kin's head rolled away from its body and towards the crowd. Not one person stepped back. Instead, the delight of the crowd grew. They gave on ovation for what they had just witnessed.

Only a few were not partaking in the applause. Hiroyo instead simply smiled and returned home. Takahiro was standing in silence amongst the roars of approval. Toki and Kohroku were both off-put by what they had seen. They had been involved in fighting before and had seen many die. However, during those times, they were behind the walls and using rifles to keep their distance. They had never seen a man die up close in such a manner. Ashitaka felt sick in his stomach as he returned home.

"What's wrong?" San asked as Ashitaka stumbled through the door while clutching his stomach, "Did something happen?"

"No, everything went as planned," Ashitaka replied. He felt nauseated as he made his way to his room to lie down. "I don't want to talk about it. I'd rather forget what I saw."

* * *

Ashitaka thrashed and turned throughout the night. His squirming had woken up San. Initially, she thought he had brushed against her while turning onto his side. When it happened four more times in less than a minute, she opened her eyes to see if he was okay. He was repeatedly shifting, rolling, and shaking. She thought he had been possessed by some demon.

"Ashitaka," She hissed, "Ashitaka, wake up!" She tried to restrain him, but he continued to rattle in her grip. She had to sit atop his stomach and hold down both of his arms to stop him from flailing around in his sleep. The weight of San's body is what finally caused Ashitaka to wake up. His eyes shot open to see San's eyes glaring down at him. The sweat on his skin had been made cold by the winter night's air.

"San, you're alive?" Ashitaka asked in bewilderment. San shifted off of Ashitaka's body as he sat up. "Oh, thank goodness; it was only a dream."

"Dream? What dream?"

Ashitaka had experienced not one, but three separate dreams. He described each one to San as well as he could, as he couldn't remember them well. In the first, he was helplessly watching as Lord Asano broke through the walls of Irontown. He could remember seeing houses set aflame and pillars of smoke rising towards the sky. The dream either abruptly ended or Ashitaka couldn't remember what happened next. He then jumped to the next dream, where he was standing in the town's center again. Like earlier in the day, the townspeople had formed a crowd before a platform. This time, he was further back and couldn't see over the others. He made his way through the crowd and stopped when he was at the front. When he broke through the last row of people, he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw San standing before the platform.

"Get on with it!" One man cried.

"Skin her alive, first!" A woman called, "That monster doesn't deserve mercy!"

Ashitaka shut his eyes before he could see what happened next. When he opened them, he saw that he was now facing the crowd. San either awoke him before the dream could continue, or he forgot the latter parts of this nightmare.

"I knew that going to that execution would be a bad idea," Ashitaka muttered, "I can't get the images of those men out of my head."

Ashitaka's gaze turned from San towards the ground as the scene replayed in his head. He could still here the sickening chop that the blade made as it cut through each man's neck. He tugged at his hair as he struggled to erase the memory. They began to bring up those of the samurai he killed while on his way to Irontown. The same regret he felt then began to creep into his heart.

As San sat in silence next to Ashitaka, she could feel her chest begin to swell, as if she could feel his pain. Not wanting to see him hurt like this, she wrapped her arms around his chest and rested her chin on his shoulder. Even though a few tears silently rolled down his cheeks, he was smiling as he returned the embrace. San, too, was smiling as she pulled away to wipe the tears off his face.

"I'll be here for you," She whispered to him, "I'll help support you."

"I know, San, and thank you," Ashitaka said, "But you'll be returning to the forest soon. I won't be able to see you as often."

San knew that Ashitaka was right. She knew that it would only be a few weeks more before she went home. She couldn't visit Ashitaka in Irontown; too many people hated her for that to work out. He was too wrapped up in all of his duties to visit her very often, but maybe they could speak for a few minutes while he was on patrol.

Something Ashitaka said a few weeks ago came back to her. After they had their scuffle and reconciled a couple days later, he told her about how his kind viewed love. He said that if two humans truly loved each other, they would want to live with each other until death.

"Ashitaka?"

"Yes, San?"

"I know that you and I have had our discrepancies in the past, and we still have a great deal of differences between us, but that doesn't change how I feel about you." San sighed. She wasn't used to being this emotional. "I want to stay with you, to spend my life with you." San gazed into Ashitaka's bewildered eyes as she laid both hands on his shoulders.

"San, are you saying..."

"Ashitaka... I love you."


	13. Time Stand Still

Only one more week remained until San would be able to remove her splint and return home. She woke up with a smile on her face; not only because of the fact she could leave in only a few days, but because she and Ashitaka had made a decision on how they would live together.

The day after San told Ashitaka she loved him, neither wanted to waste time in figuring out how they could make their relationship work. They both agreed that San couldn't live in Irontown for several reasons: she felt it was too cramped, she still held a grudge against many of the humans, and many of the humans held a grudge against her. Ashitaka asked Toki for some advice after he returned from his daily forest patrol. She suggested that she move in with San at the wolves' den.

"I mean, I love having you around, but that's probably the best option," Toki said, "Besides, Irontown is back on its feet again. I know you're the best warrior around here, but you've pretty much been relegated to the forest. This way, you can be with that girl –excuse me, San– and you can come tell us if something is wrong in the forest. It seems like a win-win to me."

"I suppose that would work well enough," Ashitaka said, "I'll need to talk to San about it first. She'll probably need her brothers' approval, and I honestly have no idea what they think of me."

"You've never spoken with them?"

"The only time I ever met with them after the debacle with the Forest Spirit and Asano and Jigo was when Kenta and Misawa tried to..."

"Oh, I see. What did they say to you?"

"Not much, really. They didn't attack me, so I suppose that's a plus."

Toki chuckled, "You've been taking care of San well enough. I'm sure they'll allow you stay."

"Begrudgingly, maybe."

"Don't worry about it too much, Ashitaka. Who knows, even if they reject the idea, they may say yes some other time."

Ashitaka nodded. He decided that he would run the idea by San and, if San thought it would work, talk to Lady Eboshi. "Alright; thank you, Toki." The two said goodbye and Ashitaka headed home. He ran Toki's idea by San.

"I love that plan, but are you sure you'd give up your home for me?" San asked, "I may not think too highly of it, but you seem happy here. I also have to admit that it's much more comfortable to sleep on than a cave floor."

"If living with you means that I have to leave this house, I would do so gladly," Ashitaka replied, "I can adjust well enough in a short amount of time."

San smiled and licked Ashitaka's cheek, using her own way of showing her affection for him. It was unsettling at first, but he quickly realized that was likely how wolves expressed fondness for one another. He brushed her soft, now-shoulder length brown hair. The smile on his face reflected the uplifting joy in his heart. The only problem which bothered him was where San's brothers could be. In the nineteen weeks that San had been living with Ashitaka, he had not seen one sign of the wolves' presence. He and San were still confident that her brothers would return.

Even though he knew that San's brothers still needed to approve, Ashitaka decided it would be best to tell Lady Eboshi that he may be leaving. She received the news well and wished Ashitaka the best of luck.

"You've been a great deal of help, but it's time for you to go your own way," She said, "You'll always be welcome here in Irontown. I'll try to make it so that the Wolf Girl is given the same treatment."

Almost everything was going Ashitaka and San's way. The two could finally live together, San's leg was almost fully healed, and Lady Eboshi would try to have the half of Irontown which despised San change their views of the Wolf Girl they hated and feared. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. The joy that San and Ashitaka helped them forget the recent troubles they had been experiencing. Ashitaka was able to put the execution behind him and San no longer felt cramped and stressed inside the house. It seemed that everything would be perfect until later that night.

San had already fallen asleep by the time Ashitaka had come home. One arm sat at her side while the other lay across her torso. Ashitaka smiled at seeing San so peaceful. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he made his way to his room, not wanting to wake San. The shutters in his home were all shut. The only thing he could hear outside was the chirping of crickets, chiming one after the other. He was about to change into his nightclothes when he heard a knock at the door. He went to answer it and found Kuze, the man who replaced Kenji as scout, standing at the door.

"Ashitaka, I'm sorry to be at your house so late, but we have a problem," Kuze said, "Lady Eboshi is coming to speak with you."

Ashitaka could see and hear townspeople outside scrambling to grab their weapons. Every man had a spear in his home; some had instead had a naginata. The men who served as guards each carried a naginata; Gonza, who served as captain, had the longest. They were gathering at the center of town. At the front and center of the crowd stood Gonza and Lady Eboshi. Ashitaka decided to grab his sword, believing the town to be in danger. Kuze then led Ashitaka to Gonza and Eboshi before departing to retrieve his own weapon.

"What seems to be the problem, Milady?" Ashitaka asked.

"Kuze spotted the wolves while he was scouting," Lady Eboshi answered.

"They spotted Kuze and began to approach him before he took off," Gonza said, "Just before he returned to town, he spotted them again. He told some of the townspeople what had happened and now they're in a panic. Do you think you can try and talk to the wolves about the girl?"

Ashitaka moved closer to Eboshi and Gonza and asked them in a whisper if the townspeople knew about San.

"Not yet," Lady Eboshi replied in a hushed voice, "But if things come to a head, it may be best for you to tell them where the girl is."

Ashitaka nodded, scanning the mob as he did. He caught a glimpse of Kenta and Misawa, armed with a bow and spear, respectively.

Okami and Urufu approached the gates slowly, their eyes glowing in the dark of night. The humans standing on the ramparts fled at the sight of the two beasts to join the crowd. The wolves could smell the fear radiating off of each human. They could also smell their sister.

"Then she is there," Okami said, "What do you think they have done with her?"

"For their sake, she had best be unharmed," Urufu replied, "How do you think we should get in? Leap over the gate?"

"That seems well enough." The two wolves, harboring rage and hatred, leapt over the gates of Irontown, clearing it by only a few inches. The landed on their paws and glared at the crowd. Their teeth were barred and their growls resonated throughout the town. Two humans stood out to the wolves: the woman and the human that had helped them over a year ago. Ashitaka, they remembered him as, was the one closest to them. He was holding a sword in his right hand. When he saw the wolves, he cast his sword to the side, eliciting shocked gasps from the crowd.

"I have no desire to fight you," Ashitaka said, "I only wish to know what brings you here."

"You know what we're here for," Okami growled, "Where is San, our sister?"

Ashitaka's eyes moved to Kenta and Misawa for a brief moment before he replied, "I can't tell you."

"What do you mean you cannot tell us?" Urufu questioned, "What makes you believe that you can hide our sister from us? We know she is here. We can smell her, and her scent is on your body."

Ashitaka could hear the crowd begin to murmur and whisper. He could have sworn he saw Misawa and Kenta take a few steps towards his house, but that may have been his imagination.

"What is our sister doing in your town?" Okami asked, "Is she hurt?"

Ashitaka doubted that he would be able to lie to the wolves. "Yes, she suffered a broken leg and arm, but-"

"Wounds caused by you humans?"

Ashitaka drew in a sharp breath. "Yes, humans are the ones who injured her, but none of them-" Ashitaka pointed at the crowd, "-are the ones responsible."

Okami's head turned to Kenta and Misawa. "Are those the ones who tried to attack us earlier in the year?"

Ashitaka turned his head to where Okami was looking. "Yes, but even then, they didn't hurt San."

"Enough of this, human," Urufu barked, "Tell us where San is, or I will rip you to shreds."

Ashitaka, still concerned about what would happen if Kenta and Misawa heard where San was, silently began to inch closer to his house. It was close to the gates, only a few meters away. Yakul watched from the stables in anticipation as the wolves began to show more teeth.

"I grow tired of this!" Okami roared, "If you will not tell us where she is, then I will tear through your town and find her!" The wolf charged at Ashitaka and rammed his skull against the human. Ashitaka's ribs absorbed the blow as he smacked against the ground, crying out in pain. Urufu and Okami then stood side by side and glared at the humans. Kenta, who had been readying an arrow, dropped it out of fear. The bowstring twanged as it fired nothing.

The tension in the air caused the hairs on Ashitaka's arms to stand. Before he could say anything to try and calm the wolves, Okami and Urufu, having lost their patience weeks ago, both surged at Ashitaka. Their claws were ready to rip into his body and their jaws were open wide. Ashitaka, still stunned from the last blow, could only shut his eyes and hope the wolves showed mercy.

San had already begun to stir when she heard the shouting outside. She assumed that it was some petty human squabble that she need not pay attention to. However, she could detect two distinct scents, those of her brothers. Her already high spirits rose. Excitement filled her body, as she had been wanting to see them ever since she arrived in Irontown. Her excitement transformed into confusion when she heard them arguing with someone who sounded like Ashitaka. A few more words were exchanged, and she was sure it was him.

She wasn't sure why Ashitaka didn't simply tell her brothers where she was. For him to be putting himself at risk by angering them, he must have had a good reason to not tell them. Things seemed to be getting worse as she heard Ashitaka cry out after her brother issued a warning. They likely had no idea what he had done for her. She knew she had to act quickly before they seriously hurt Ashitaka, or worse, kill him. It would take too long for her to get up and use her crutch. Instead, she stood up, fighting the pain in her leg and made her way to the front door. She opened the door only a crack and peeked outside. She gasped when she saw her brothers charging towards a downed Ashitaka. The pain in her leg seemed to fade as she cast off her splint, threw the door open, and rushed to Ashitaka's side.

All at once, the pain in San's leg returned, making her leg give out from under her, Okami and Urufu skidded to a halt, and the townspeople's murmurs and whispers grew to astonished gasps and chatter. San tumbled towards Ashitaka's side and hastily positioned herself in between him and her brothers.

In the crowd, Eboshi whispered to Gonza to keep Kenta and Misawa away. Gonza nodded and looked for the two.

"Please, don't hurt him," San begged her brothers with a pained look on her face, "I know you two must be furious for what those other humans did to you, but Ashitaka has done no wrong."

Okami's gaze turned to San's leg, the one which she stumbled over. "Is something wrong with your leg?"

"I hurt it on the night that you two disappeared. Ashitaka found me and brought me here." San turned her head to the crowd to see if she could see Takahiro. The isha wasn't in the crowd. "One of the other humans helped me recover."

"These humans... helped you?" Urufu asked, bewildered, "What has happened in the time we were gone?"

"Not much," Ashitaka groaned as he tried –and failed– to sit up, "Jigo said that you were captured by humans."

"I know not who Jigo is, but yes, we were taken captive. The ones who tried to lock us in cages paid dearly."

San stood on her one good leg while she kept as much weight as possible off on the one which was still recovering. She helped Ashitaka to his feet. He was clutching his side, sure that a few of his ribs were either bruised or broken. The two helped keep each other standing.

"Ashitaka, are you okay?" San asked.

"Yes, I think I'll be fine," He replied, "I didn't tell your brothers where you were because I feared what some of the townspeople might have done." Ashitaka had almost forgotten about the others in his daze. The noise from the crowd had died down as they watched the wolves and Ashitaka. "I had no intention of hurting San or hiding her from you," He said to San's brothers, "I'm sorry for not saying anything beforehand." Ashitaka grunted as the pain in his ribcage suddenly jolted. He clutched his side and staggered, managing to stay up only because of San.

"Ashitaka!" Toki called from the crowd. Heads turned to see her coming through with Takahiro. "Ashitaka, are you alright?"

"Fine," He replied, "Hello, Takahiro."

The isha bowed to Ashitaka, then to the wolves. "Your sister was grievously hurt when I was brought to her," Takahiro said, "She should be fine now, though she shouldn't be running for at least another week. After that, she should start getting used to using her leg again."

The wolves nodded, still confused as to how much help San had received from humans. Takahiro told Ashitaka to come by his hut to see how badly he had been hurt. Ashitaka nodded and thanked Takahiro.

"Lady Eboshi, why not kill that woman while we have the chance?" One man whispered. San and her brothers had heard him. The three shot a burning look towards the man. Ashitaka noticed and simply stared at him with tired, disgusted eyes.

"I'm not going to kill her because of actions taken during a war," Eboshi hissed at the man, "Perhaps she killed one of your brothers or children or whoever else, but what we did to her is no different. I killed her mother with my own hand." Lady Eboshi grabbed the stump of her arm, reminding the townspeople of the price she had paid. "Badmouth the girl all you want, but if any of you so much as throw a stone at her, I will see to it that you are punished severely."

"Perhaps it really is best if I leave this place," Ashitaka whispered to San, "It would take too long for these people to accept you."

"Yes, but I still need to talk to my brothers about that," San whispered back, "Even if they say no, I'll try to see you as often as I can."

"What are you talking about San?" Okami asked, "What is it you want to discuss?"

"I want to talk about it while we're at home. I'll tell you once we're there." San stepped away from Ashitaka for a moment and stood before Toki and Takahiro. Along with Ashitaka, the two had treated her like a friend despite not knowing her. Normally, with her brothers watching, she would have simply mouthed thank you. Instead, she said nothing as she swallowed her pride and bowed to the two of them. "Thank you for the help you've given me."

"You don't need to thank me," Toki said, "There was no trouble at all."

"I was simply doing my duty," Takahiro said, "I wish you the best of luck."

The last person San turned to face was Lady Eboshi. Neither woman approached the other, and neither bowed their head or verbally exchanged thanks. Instead, they looked each other in the eye. San knew that the woman could have easily told the other humans where she was. That woman could have had rifles brought out to shoot Okami and Urufu. Instead, to San's shock, that woman stuck up for her. She still hated that woman for what she did to Moro, but the faintest glimmer of respect was in San's eyes. Lady Eboshi understood and nodded.

San then turned to Ashitaka and gave him one last hug and licked his cheek. Ashitaka gazed into San's gray eyes, unknowing of when he would see her again. He decided that he would show how humans showed affection and kissed her forehead. Some of the women in the crowd grew jealous. Okami and Urufu tilted their heads out of curiosity.

"Goodbye, San," Ashitaka said, "I hope we'll see each other soon."

"Goodbye, Ashitaka, and thank you for everything you've given me," San said with sincerity, "Come talk to me tomorrow if you're going to be in the forest. I should have my brothers' response by then."

"Response to what?" Both wolves asked in unison. San only smiled at them as she limped to Okami's side and asked if he could carry her to their home. The wolf nodded, and San pulled herself onto his back. Before they left, Okami and Urufu took one last look at Ashitaka. He was different from the others. They had known that ever since he helped return the Forest Spirit's head. Both had a small glint of admiration for him, and they showed it by bowing their heads before turning to the gates and leaping over them. Before San disappeared behind the walls, she gave Ashitaka a quick wave to say goodbye.

"Well, since that affair has been settled, let's get everything back to how it was," Lady Eboshi said, "Guards, return to your posts. Where's Gonza?"

"Right here, Milady," Gonza replied as he walked to her side, "You won't need to worry about Kenta or Misawa."

"What did you do with them?"

Gonza hid his bruised knuckles in his pocket and replied, "We came to an agreement."

"A well enough answer, I suppose." Eboshi turned to Ashitaka, who was picking up his sword from the ground. The crowd behind her was beginning to dissipate. "Are you well enough to be working tomorrow?"

"If I'm still in pain by the morning, I'll visit Takahiro," Ashitaka replied, "What do you think everyone's going to say? That I'm a traitor for helping San? That I harbored a murderer in my house?"

"It is likely and it is unfortunate. In time, they'll likely forgive her, to an extant, but now is not the time. I truly believe it would be best for you to live with her in the forest, where you can have peace." Lady Eboshi looked towards the distant mountains, where the once barren land was now covered in fresh grass from the early spring. "Good night, Ashitaka. Come talk to me once you've received a response from the wolves." Ashitaka nodded and bowed as much as he could. Lady Eboshi returned to her home with Gonza in tow.

Ashitaka watched the remaining townspeople in the crowd return to their homes. He wondered what they would think of him now, seeing as to how he deceived them all. He had no regrets about it. He would gladly have his reputation suffer if it meant protecting San. He returned home still clutching his ribs. He laid his sword on top of his dresser and collapsed onto his futon, not even bothering to change. He closed his eyes and began to drift to sleep, alone for the first time in weeks. Already, he missed San. One year ago, he would have never believed that he and San would have become this close. Now that they had spent time together, he wanted nothing more than to be by her side each and every day. He hoped that Okami and Urufu would approve of him living in their cave. The first thing he would do tomorrow, broken ribs or not, would be to bring Yakul out of the stables and ride to the wolves' den. There, he would stand outside and await San and her brothers.

He couldn't wait for morning.

**Author's Note:**

> This was the first story I wrote that wasn't part of my original series. The writing was much better, in my opinion, and the only true gripe I have with this story is its length: it is the shortest work I've ever written. Other than that, I was very happy with how it turned out. Please tell me what you think in the comments, and thank you for reading!


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